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Hauz Khas in south Delhi has joined a growing list of areas affected by the ongoing water supply crisis in the Capital that have started receiving contaminated supply, with residents complaining of foul-smelling water allegedly mixed with sewage.
The shortages were initially reported in D1 Block of the upscale locality before gradually spreading to 10 other blocks. Ten days on, the local residents’ welfare association (RWAs) said the water has turned black in some households.
The problem is not restricted to Hauz Khas. Over the past week, similar complaints have emerged from C Block of Lajpat Nagar-I, Govindpuri, Vijay Park, Gulmohar Park, B and D blocks of Janakpuri, Gurunanakpura and parts of Harsh Vihar, among other areas, Delhi Jal Board (DJB) officials said.
“Low supply pressure in old, corroded pipelines, coupled with the use of household submersible pumps, has led to an increase in contamination complaints. We are trying to locate local sources of contamination on priority and fix them,” said a senior DJB official, requesting anonymity.
Manoranjan Singh, the RWA coordinator representing 10 blocks in Hauz Khas, said DJB has not been able to identify the source of contamination and hundreds of households continue to receive sewage-mixed water.
“Earlier there was a shortage of water in the D1 and Geeta Mandir blocks, which then spread to more areas. Over the last five to six days, we started getting sewage-mixed water,” Singh said.
Local RWAs said sewage-mixed water has also been reported from X, Y, E, A and K blocks and adjoining areas.
“We have started taking preventive medicines, as senior citizens are especially at risk. The A Block area—from A55 to A70—as well as Y and Z blocks are the worst affected, with gutter water coming out of taps meant to supply drinking water. DJB has been telling us that it may take a few days for the system to flush out residue and grime, but we are not seeing any progress,” Singh added.
Several residents took to social media to share images of black water and express their frustration.
Karan Kohli, a resident of X Block, posted: “We are getting contaminated water in X block Hauz Khas since a week. We have repeatedly complained on Delhi Jal Board helpline but the JE hasn’t responded. Multiple people have fallen sick including seniors and children.”
DJB said ageing pipelines increase the risk of leakages, negative pressure and cross-contamination in areas where sewer lines run parallel to water pipelines.
“In many areas, the supply lines are old and have leakages. As long as adequate pressure is maintained, the risk of contamination remains low. But when water availability and pressure drop, contaminants can enter the system through leakage points. The use of pressure pumps by households can further draw contaminated water into pipelines. Less water in the system translates into a higher risk of contamination,” another official said.
Meanwhile, another upscale south Delhi colony, Gulmohar Park, has also reported contamination over the past week.
Savithri Singh, a representative of the area RWA, said a large number of residents fell sick and DJB had dug up pipelines up to Shahpur Jat to trace the source of contamination.
“We were told on Tuesday that the water supply is expected to return to normal soon. Initial samples are clear, but it may still take days for the system to be disinfected. Water tanks at homes also need cleaning and disinfection,” she said.
Sugita Katyal, another resident, said: “Houses that were getting clean water until a few days ago also started getting filthy water after DJB’s so-called fixes. Many houses that were not affected initially were hit after digging and line-switching work. It’s become worse in the last five days.”
In Vijay Park in east Delhi’s Maujpur area, residents said the piped water supply had become unusable.
Ram Sagar Pandey, a resident of Lane No. 14, said: “Our water tanks are now filled with silt and muck and people are completely reliant on canned water for drinking purposes. We get brackish water that we are afraid to use even for non-drinking purposes.”
Ashok Bhasin, head of the North Delhi Residents Welfare Federation, said there had been an alarming rise in complaints of contaminated water across the catchment area of the Wazirabad water treatment plant.
“The supply timings have been cut down and for the first 10-15 minutes we get only blackish water. The pressure is so low that DJB is often pumping contaminated water from the base of reservoirs,” he said.
Officials said ageing infrastructure remains a key challenge. Delhi’s water supply network spans over 16,000km, carrying treated water from nine treatment plants. More than 5,500km of pipelines are over 30 years old, while another 3,000km are between 20 and 30 years old.
The government on Tuesday said it has identified ageing infrastructure as a major factor behind water losses.
“Huge quantities of treated water are lost before reaching consumers. We have started a mission to replace these old pipelines and strengthen the entire distribution system to plug leakages,” water minister Parvesh Verma said.
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