Delhi Water Crisis: Yamuna Low Levels Hit Supply And DJB Response

Delhi residents battling the heatwave are also coping with erratic taps, as falling Yamuna water levels have forced major supply cuts. Large parts of central and north Delhi are receiving less water, with tail-end colonies reporting dry hours and no prior warning from the authorities this season.

Officials from Delhi Jal Board (DJB) said production has dropped at Wazirabad and Chandrawal water treatment plants because raw water is not reaching intake points in the usual volume. The shortfall is linked to the Yamuna’s depleted flow near the Wazirabad barrage, where an almost dried riverbed was visible on 26 May.

Yamuna levels and Delhi water supply operations

The Wazirabad barrage and its pondage zone act as the main storage pocket for untreated Yamuna water, and levels there should stay at 674.5 ft above sea level for smooth pumping. A senior DJB official said levels have slipped below 670 ft and are “hovering around 669.8ft”, disrupting normal operations.

Two of DJB’s biggest facilities draw from this stretch. Wazirabad plant usually supplies around 134 million gallons per day (MGD) to parts of north and central Delhi, while Chandrawal produces 98 MGD for north, northwest and central areas. The first official said supply from Wazirabad is down by 25%, and Chandrawal output has fallen about 10%.

Emergency steps and Delhi water supply gap

A second Jal Board official said city engineers are trying to route more raw water from the Carrier Lined Canal, also known as the Munak canal, towards Wazirabad to offset the drop in pond level. The official warned that if the decline continues, DJB will need boats and special pumps to pull water from the shrinking pond.

Both DJB officials said the Delhi government is holding talks with Haryana for extra releases from the Hathnikund barrage upstream of the Yamuna. Delhi’s water demand is estimated at 1,250 MGD, but DJB currently supplies about 1,002 MGD, and the gap becomes wider between May and July when demand peaks.

Regional sources and Delhi water supply network

Delhi depends heavily on neighbouring states for raw water, receiving much of its share from Uttar Pradesh, Haryana and Punjab through canals and river channels. The Wazirabad and Chandrawal plants sit within this wider network and feed several zones, but central Delhi lies at the tail-end, so pressure drops there are felt first when production falls.

This season’s curbs have hit central localities hardest, including Patel Nagar J Block, West Patel Nagar, parts of Dwarka, Ambica Vihar Society, Paschim Vihar, Ramesh Enclave and Sudarshan Park. Residents in these areas said supply windows have shortened, forcing many to depend on stored water and private tankers as temperatures rise.

Local impact and complaints on Delhi water supply

Tajender Pal, a resident of Patel Nagar, said people in the neighbourhood are struggling to arrange enough water for daily use. Ashok Kumar, a Dwarka resident, said: "Golf View Condo in Sector 19B, housing over 1,000 families, has been facing irregular supply for the last week."

Ashok Bhasin, president of the North Delhi Residents Welfare Federation, which represents several resident welfare associations, said authorities had earlier issued advisories asking people to store water during low-supply periods, but no such alert was circulated this year. DJB did not respond to queries seeking an official explanation for the current shortage or the lack of prior public notice.

Political reactions over Delhi water supply

The situation has triggered a political exchange between the Aam Aadmi Party and the current Delhi administration. AAP national convener Arvind Kejriwal posted on X, "Who would have thought that one day the Capital of the country would be in such a state?" Delhi water minister Parvesh Verma replied, "The truth is that in those 11 years (under AAP), no real work was done on water, sewers, and water storage—nothing compared to the hype they created."

With heatwave conditions continuing and Yamuna levels yet to recover, households in several districts remain dependent on reduced pipeline supply and stored reserves. Officials say discussions with Haryana over additional releases from Hathnikund are ongoing, while engineers persist with diversion efforts from the Munak canal to stabilise production at Wazirabad and Chandrawal plants.