Normal water supply to resume in east and south Delhi by Tuesday evening

Some parts of east and south Delhi where taps went dry on Saturday evening finally received some water on Monday morning but only for a short time. Residents said the pressure was extremely low

Water supply problem continued in parts of east and south Delhi on Monday due to the closure of Sonia Vihar and Bhagirathi Water Treatment Plants (WTPs) due to high levels of ammonia in untreated Yamuna water. Delhi Jal Board has said it won’t be before Tuesday evening that normal supply will be restored to these areas.

Delhi Jal Board says the two water treatment plants shut after levels of ammonia rose in Yamuna water are now operating to their full capacity again. Picture for representation only. (Sonu Mehta/HT File Photo)

Residents said they have had a harrowing time over the weekend after taps went dry and Monday was no different. Though water supply resumed briefly in the morning in some places, the pressure was extremely low. These places include Khirki Extension, Panchsheel Vihar, Mayur Vihar Phase-I, Sheikh Sarai, Greater Kailash, Sarita Vihar, and Pandav Nagar.

Ashok Kumar, who resides in east Delhi’s Mayur Vihar Phase-I, said that he had to call a water tanker to procure water for daily chores as piped supply in his locality remained disrupted due to closure of the WTPs since Saturday evening.

“We have not been getting proper water supply for the last three days. The supply resumed for 15 minutes today but the pressure was so low that it could not reach the upper floors in my building. So, we had to call a water tanker,” Kumar told Hindustan Times.

She, however, said that the water supply resumed at her house too though for a short period on Monday.

Delhi Jal Board on Saturday had announced the closure of Sonia Vihar and Bhagirathi WTPs because of high content of ammonia found in the water. DJB plants treat around 900 million gallons of water per day (MGD).

DJB officials said that the WTPs have been started and the situation would become normal by Tuesday evening. “Full production has already started in both Bhagirathi and Sonia Vihar water treatment plants. However, the system will take some time to get normalised. Water supply has resumed in many of the affected areas in east and south Delhi. By tomorrow evening, we expect things to be back to normal,” DJB CEO Keshav Chandra told Hindustan Times.