Water supply hit in parts of Delhi as Wazirabad plant supply reduced by 20%

New Delhi, Sep 5 (PTI) Water supply in several parts of Delhi has been disrupted after the Wazirabad Water Treatment Plant (WTP) reduced production by 20 per cent due to increased turbidity and silt in the Yamuna River, officials from the Delhi Jal Board (DJB) said on Friday.

One of its biggest plants, the Wazirabad WTP, has an overall capacity of producing 138 million gallons per day (MGD) of water. The production, however, has been reduced.

"We reduce the water production due to high amounts of silt and turbidity in the river, which is our raw water source, which is further treated in the plants. The Wazirabad plant is functioning at 20 per cent reduced capacity, but we hope to improve on that and bring the plant to full capacity in the next few hours," the official said.

This is not the first plant impacted by rising turbidity. The Chandrawal WTP was also affected earlier, but it is now functioning at full capacity, the official said.

"The Chandrawal plant is now functioning at full capacity, only the Wazirabad is slightly affected," the person said.

The curtailed supply has left thousands of city residents high and dry.

"There has been no water supply in Model Town since yesterday … When contacted, the DJB told us that due to the Wazirabad water treatment plant shutdown, the supply is expected only from tomorrow morning," said Sanjay Gupta, General Secretary, Model Town Residents Society.

Many residents tried for water tankers, but were told by the DJB that no water tanker was available.

Residents were forced to buy drinking water jars from the market, Gupta added.

The Yamuna has risen above the 207-metre mark, flooding several low-lying areas in the last few days, displacing people and affecting businesses.

The same DJB plants got affected during the floods in 2023 and were entirely shut down for a few days. PTI SSM VN VN