People filling containers from a DJB tanker at Anand Parbat in central Delhi on Friday.
Amid an ongoing shortage of drinking water, Chief Minister Rekha Gupta on Saturday said Haryana has assured to maintain 1,000 cusecs of raw water supply through Munak Canal.The move is likely to improve the situation slightly but the shortage may continue in some parts of the city, as per government data.The Chief Minister said she spoke to her Haryana counterpart Nayab Singh Saini about the shortage of raw water and the neighbouring State has assured to maintain a minimum of 1,000 cusecs of water supply to Delhi.As per the Upper Yamuna River Board decision, Delhi is supposed to get 924 cusecs of water through Munak Canal, measured at Bawana, when it enters Delhi, according to officials. “But for the past one week, Haryana has increased it and Delhi has been getting around 950 cusecs of water through the canal. This has been increased today to about 1,000 cusecs,” an official said on Saturday.As per Delhi government data, the water requirement of the city is about 1,250 MGD (million gallons per day), but the peak production by the Delhi Jal Board (DJB) during summer months is about 1,000 MGD.Against this target of production of 1,000 MGD of treated water by the water treatment plants (WTPs), Friday’s production was around 880 MGD, leaving a gap of about 12%, according to officials.Even with the increase of raw water supply by Haryana from about 950 cusecs to 1,000 cusecs, the gap in production of treated water by the WTPs is likely to remain around 9-10%, according to sources. Until the water level in the Yamuna improves, the situation is likely to persist.“The Yamuna water level at Wazirabad has fallen from its normal pond level of 674.5 feet to nearly 668 feet, resulting in a shortage of raw water and affecting water production. This situation has been aggravated by the prolonged dry spell in the upper reaches of the river,” said Water Minister Parvesh Sahib Singh.The Minister said despite the difficult circumstances, the DJB has been able to maintain daily water production of around 900 MGD. “The DJB continues to supply water to the vast majority of households across the city. Our teams are working round the clock to optimise available resources and manage the distribution network efficiently,” he added.AAP targets govt.However, the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) continued to target the Bharatiya Janata Party government over the issue and alleged that apart from unauthorised colonies, affluent colonies are also affected by the water shortage.Sharing a purported video from Rajinder Nagar of people struggling to get water from a tanker, senior AAP leader Durgesh Pathak said in a post on X, “Can’t make sense of whether [Prime Minister Narendra] Modiji stopped Pakistan’s water or Pakistan stopped Delhi’s water. The situation is extremely bad.”‘Arrest leakage’The Chief Minister said while more than 980 water tankers of the Delhi Jal Board are making over 6,000 trips daily, small tankers have also been deployed to ensure water supply in densely populated areas with narrow lanes.The Chief Minister directed the officials to take immediate action and consider every incident of water leakage seriously. She said every single drop of water is precious and any kind of wastage will not be acceptable. She also directed that DJB officials should personally monitor the complaints received daily. According to Ms. Gupta, 11,055 complaints were received on the DJB helpline in the last one week, of which more than 8,500 have been resolved. Published - May 31, 2026 12:26 am IST
