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A sharp fall in the Yamuna river's water levels has disrupted operations at two of Delhi's largest water treatment plants, triggering supply cuts of up to 25 per cent in parts of north, central, and west Delhi, even as the capital endures a punishing heatwave with temperatures showing no sign of easing, Hindustan Times reports.
Yamuna Water Levels Drop Below Critical Threshold, Hitting Delhi's Treatment Plants
The Delhi Jal Board, the government agency responsible for producing and distributing potable water across the capital, has confirmed to Hindustan Times that falling raw water levels in the Yamuna have directly disrupted operations at the Wazirabad and Chandrawal water treatment plants, two of the city's largest and most critical facilities.
The Wazirabad barrage and its adjoining pondage area serve as the primary holding zone for raw water drawn from the Yamuna river channel. Water levels in the pondage are required to be maintained at 674.5 feet above sea level to allow both treatment plants to function at full capacity.
A senior Delhi Jal Board official, speaking on condition of anonymity, confirmed to Hindustan Times that levels have now fallen well below that threshold.
"The water levels in the Yamuna are hovering around 669.8ft. The water supply from Wazirabad is 25% down, while the Chandrawal supply has been decreased by around 10%," the official told Hindustan Times.
Wazirabad water treatment plant supplies approximately 134 million gallons per day to parts of north and central Delhi. Chandrawal produces around 98 million gallons per day, serving north, north-west, and central Delhi.
Delhi Jal Board Considers Emergency Pumps and Boats as Crisis Deepens
A second Delhi Jal Board official, who also declined to be named, told Hindustan Times that authorities are already exploring emergency measures to prevent a more severe disruption to supply.
"If the water level continues to go down, the water production will be severely impacted. We will have to deploy specialised pumps, along with boats, to suck water from the pondage area," the official said.
In the immediate term, city authorities are attempting to divert raw water from the Carrier Lined Canal at Munak towards the Wazirabad facility to compensate for the shortfall in the river channel.
Both officials confirmed to Hindustan Times that the Delhi government is in active discussions with neighbouring Haryana to secure the release of additional water from the upstream Hathnikund barrage, in a bid to prevent the situation from deteriorating further.
Supply Cuts Hit Thousands of Households Across Central and West Delhi
For residents already enduring extreme summer heat, the consequences on the ground have been immediate and severe. Supply curtailments have been felt most sharply in central Delhi, which sits at the far end of the distribution network and is therefore the first to feel the impact of any reduction in production.
Areas worst affected, according to Hindustan Times, include Patel Nagar J Block, West Patel Nagar, parts of Dwarka, Ambica Vihar Society, Paschim Vihar, Ramesh Enclave, and Sudarshan Park.
Tajender Pal, a resident of Patel Nagar, told Hindustan Times that the situation had become deeply difficult for people in the locality, with residents struggling to secure adequate water for daily needs.
Ashok Kumar, a resident of Dwarka, described the scale of the problem in his area to Hindustan Times. "Golf View Condo in Sector 19B, housing over 1,000 families, has been facing irregular supply for the last week," he said.
Adding to residents' frustration is the absence of any advance communication from authorities. Ashok Bhasin, president of the North Delhi Residents Welfare Federation, an umbrella body representing various Resident Welfare Associations, told Hindustan Times that no advisory had been issued this time, unlike in previous years, instructing households to store water ahead of a supply reduction.
Delhi's Water Demand Gap Widens Every Summer as Supply Shrinks
The crisis is unfolding against a structural backdrop that worsens annually. Delhi's total estimated water demand stands at 1,250 million gallons per day, against a Delhi Jal Board supply of 1,002 million gallons per day, a gap of nearly 250 million gallons per day under normal conditions.
That gap grows considerably wider during the peak summer months of May through July, when household demand rises sharply at precisely the same time that raw water availability in the river system falls. The capital draws the majority of its raw water from the neighbouring states of Uttar Pradesh, Haryana, and Punjab.
Political Blame Game Erupts Over Delhi's Water Woes
The water supply crisis has rapidly become a flashpoint in Delhi's political arena, with the Aam Aadmi Party and the ruling administration trading accusations over responsibility for the city's long-standing water infrastructure shortfalls.
Aam Aadmi Party national convener Arvind Kejriwal took to X to voice his criticism. "Who would have thought that one day the Capital of the country would be in such a state?" he posted.
Delhi water minister Parvesh Verma responded directly to the charge, placing the blame squarely on AAP's decade-long tenure in power. "The truth is that in those 11 years, no real work was done on water, sewers, and water storage, nothing compared to the hype they created," Verma said.
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