New Delhi: Water supply to several parts of central, north and south Delhi is likely to be disrupted for at least three days after a damaged pipeline knocked the crucial Chandrawal water treatment plant out of action, the Delhi Jal Board (DJB) said on Sunday.
The shortages, expected to ease only by Tuesday, will be the first major supply disruption this season and come just days before summer sets in, when the Capital struggles to keep all its taps running.
DJB said the areas likely to be impacted include Delhi Cantonment, RK Puram, Vasant Vihar and other parts of south Delhi; Civil Lines, Kamla Nagar, Shakti Nagar, Timarpur and Malkaganj in the north; and Old Delhi, Sadar Bazar, Paharganj, Karol Bagh, Rajinder Nagar, Patel Nagar, Baljeet Nagar, Naraina, Palam Vihar and some pockets administered by the New Delhi Municipal Council (NDMC).
NDMC also issued a disruption warning for New Delhi, adding that supply will be curtailed at the DIZ area, Tughlaq Crescent, South Avenue, Malcha Marg, Rajdoot Marg, Sarojini Nagar, Vinay Marg, the Parliament House area, Connaught Place, Ashoka Road and the diplomatic enclave.
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A damaged pipeline flooded the pump house at the Chandrawal water treatment plant in Civil Lines, officials said, adding that the flooding damaged electrical motors and panels. Some parts may require significant repairs.
“Due to a technical issue at Chandrawal Water Works–II, drinking water supply in the affected areas is temporarily disrupted. Repair and restoration work is underway. Citizens are requested to use water judiciously and conservatively,” the water utility said in a statement, adding that residents can call the 1916 helpline to report water supply issues.
“The repair of the damaged pipeline, HT (high-tension wire) panels and E&M (electrical and mechanical) equipment is being undertaken. The pump house re-operationalisation is likely to take three days,” said the statement.
A senior DJB official said efforts were underway on Sunday night to drain the pump house.
“The electrical motors and panels will need to be dried completely and damaged parts will require significant repair,” said the official, who asked not to be named.
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A water-stressed city, Delhi relies on its neighbours for raw water supply and faces a demand-supply gap that worsens at the height of summer. The Capital faces a peak demand of 1,260 million gallons per day (mgd) of water, but has the installed capacity to supply 1,000mgd – a 20% shortfall.
The Chandrawal facility – which sources raw water from the Yamuna near the Wazirabad barrage – comprises two units that together supply Delhi with 90mgd of water. Phase-2, the unit that has been affected, accounts for 55mgd of this, knocking the city’s supply back further. DJB is trying to repair the panels by Monday, but work on the electrical equipment may push the supply restoration process back, said officials.
A similar snag hit the Chandrawal plant during the 2023 floods. The three plants located along the river at Okhla, Wazirabad and Chandrawal were closed when the Yamuna’s waters surged to a record 208.66m on July 13, 2023. The water entered the pump houses and it took four days to repair and dry the machinery at Chandrawal. Chandrawal is Delhi’s oldest water treatment plant, with its first unit set up in 1935 and its second in 1955.
DJB operates nine water treatment plants: Chandrawal, Wazirabad, Haiderpur, Okhla, Nangloi, Bawana, Dwarka, Sonia Vihar and Bhaigirathi.
A new 105mgd plant is being built at Chandrawal and is likely to be fully operational towards the end of the monsoon season, HT had earlier reported. The new facility will cater to 2.2 million consumers in north and central Delhi.