Steps being taken to fix Janakpuri water supply purity: Delhi Jal Board to NGT

DJB outlines measures to address sewage in Janakpuri's drinking water, following alarming test results. Long-term fixes to start post-monsoon.

More than two months after residents of Janakpuri’s A Block flagged the alarming presence of sewage in their drinking water, the Delhi Jal Board (DJB) has detailed a series of short-term and long-term measures being taken to fix the issue, according to an affidavit submitted to the National Green Tribunal (NGT) on Friday.

Steps being taken to fix Janakpuri water supply purity: Delhi Jal Board to NGT

This comes days after the Central Pollution Control Board (CPCB) submitted fresh test results showing that five out of six water samples lifted from the area on June 30 tested positive for total coliform and E Coli.

The findings, which were submitted to NGT on July 15, were the second such warning in two months. In May, CPCB had reported E Coli and faecal coliform in six of 20 samples lifted from the same neighbourhood. The data reinforced complaints made by residents in a plea to the tribunal, prompting NGT to direct DJB to provide alternative sources of clean water and initiate immediate remedial action.

According to the CPCB report, E Coli levels in the water ranged from 7.8 units per 100ml to 280,000 units per 100ml, which was far above the zero-tolerance standard laid out by the Bureau of Indian Standards.

In its response, DJB said that 59 water samples were tested between March and mid-July. Of these, three were found unsatisfactory. The agency said it traced contamination to damaged house connections—specifically at addresses such as A1/141, A1/57, and A1/65—which have since been repaired.

“However, after taking remedial measures, fresh samples were collected from the premises, all of which were thereafter found satisfactory,” DJB added in the affidavit.

A dead water line at A1/61 was also found connected to the main distribution line. It was removed in June. To isolate leaks, three sluice valves were installed this month, leading to the identification of two major sources of contamination: a cracked gate valve near Gate No. 4, replaced on July 23, and a broken underground pipe near A1/36, replaced overnight on July 22.

Water tankers, the affidavit added, had been deployed in the colony, though many residents reportedly did not make use of them.

The long-term fix, DJB said, involves replacing the ageing water and sewer lines in the block—some of which are over four decades old. The agency said the project had been delayed due to funding issues but has now been sanctioned.

A Letter of Intent was issued on July 18 and tenders have been floated, with work expected to begin after the monsoon and completed within six months.

NGT had earlier criticised DJB’s lack of urgency, pointing out that complaints had been raised nearly three months before the May 30 order that directed the agency to ensure uninterrupted supply of potable water.