Areas on tail-end of supply, irregular colonies among those hit by crisis
Over the last fortnight, Delhi has witnessed multiple spells of shortfall in water supply, with a drop in 1 mgd affecting an estimated 21,500 people
New Delhi
The Delhi Jal Board (DJB) on Thursday supplied 951.2 million gallons per day (mgd) of water to the Capital, the water utility’s bulletin for the day revealed — an increase from the 919.7 mgd the previous day, but still far short of the targeted supply of 1,000 mgd for the summer months.
A senior DJB official said that the deficit in the water supply on Wednesday — the highest shortfall this season — was due to a lower quantity of raw water reaching Delhi through the Yamuna, and due to a two-hour power outage on Tuesday, but the situation has now relatively improved.
Over the last fortnight, Delhi has witnessed multiple spells of shortfall in water supply, with a drop in 1 mgd affecting an estimated 21,500 people.
Since DJB rationalises the supply across the city to minimise the impact of a shortfall, a deficit in the treatment of water often translates to low supply pressures and reduced supply timings in planned areas, which are connected to the 15,473-km water pipeline network. Within such neighbourhoods, tail end zones, such as Vasant Kunj in south Delhi, face relatively larger problems.
A deficit severely impacts JJ clusters and resettlement colonies where water pipelines haven’t been laid, as these areas primarily rely on tankers for their water. Consequently, the cost and demand for private tankers has also gone up.
To be sure, private individual tankers are not permitted in Delhi, and as per the rules, water filling stations are under the control of DJB. However, matters of legality become irrelevant for residents during times of high demand and low supply.
Effects in planned areas
Rajesh Panwar, who heads the federation of Vasant Kunj RWAs, said that each household in the neighbourhood is now getting around 700 litres of water a day, against the earlier 1000 litres a day. “The situation is not as bad as it was in May, but flats located at the tail end of the pipeline network are getting water at very low pressure, and we often facilitate water tankers for them,” he said.
Ashok Bhasin, who heads the North Delhi Residents’ Federation, said that the water pressure was low in Tri Nagar (Rani Bagh), Bharat Nagar, Roshanara Road, and Sabzi Mandi areas.
“Due to pressure being low, many residents also complain of muddy water. High pressure water clears up the contamination in the initial few minutes of the supply. But largely, all planned areas are getting water supply for barely more than an hour, against normal two-hour supply timing.” he said.
Sanjay Rana, general secretary of the GK2 Welfare Association, said the water supply was affected for a couple of days this season, which led to pressure issues in areas located at a higher elevation, such as GK-2 S-block. “There are some parts which have permanent water supply-related problems,” he said.
When water tankers from DJB are not available, RWAs rely on private water tankers whose prices have shot up. “We are paying ₹1,600-1,800 for each private tanker. The rates may go up after the crackdown (on tankers illegally lifting water). These private tankers also act as a lifeline when DJB is unable to supply tankers due to high demand,” Panwar said.
Bhasin said that the tankers in north Delhi are being sold for ₹2000. “The DJB helpline for tankers is not responsive,” he said.
Atul Goel, who heads United RWAs Joint Action (Urja) — a collective body of RWAs — said that the water supply in his neighbourhood (Karol Bagh/Rajinder Nagar) was normal but with low pressure. “There are certain pockets like Baljeet Nagar and Fareedpuri, where no water supply is available but they are fed by tanker all through the year. In our case, the shortfall is translating to half-filled overhead tanks and more careful water use,” Goel said, adding that many households have upgraded to high-powered motors for their water supply.
Crisis in unplanned colonies
Delhi has 1,799 unauthorised colonies, and water pipelines have been laid and commissioned in 1,638, with work underway or set to begin for a further 48. The remaining 113 colonies are located in restricted zones or forest land, where water pipelines cannot be laid.
One such area is Safeda Basti in Geeta Colony.
Every day, around 7-7.30am, hundreds of people armed with buckets, jerry cans and empty plastic containers, wait for a water tanker to arrive. The arrival of the tanker is marked by scuffles and chaos among the people lined up to get their share of water. With limited water in each tanker, each household takes a share of 3-4 jerry cans.
However, with the water demand going up, the people of these slum clusters are facing the maximum brunt of the water supply shortfall.
Urmila Devi, 40, a resident, said that women spend 3-4 hours in line just to fill water and take it home. “After filling the jerry cans, we will have to carry them home one by one using a bicycle,” she said.
Similar scenes are witnessed at Sanjay Camp and Vivekanand Camp in New Delhi, Indira Camp near Kusumpur Pahadi in Vasant Kunj, slum clusters at Baljeet Nagar and Patel Nagar, parts of Sangam Vihar, and Anand Parbat, among other places.
BS Vohra, who heads the East Delhi RWA joint front, said the residents of slum clusters along Safeda Basti are facing a daily uphill task to access water. “Water tankers are used to supply this area even in winters but with such a heatwave, this limited water is not proving to be enough. The demand of tankers has also gone up so areas like Safeda Basti are suffering,” he said, adding that nearby planned areas such as Geeta Colony — supplied by plants fed by the Upper Ganga Canal — have recorded only a minimal drop in supply, if at all.