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Delhi’s water issues are not new. As the summer approaches, the capital is again facing water supply problems and issues of water quality.

 

A year ago, the Delhi Jal Board (DJB) and the state government’s finance department began wrangling over the release of funds. But the logjam shows no signs of easing.

 

On November 17, 2023, the DBJ Contractor’s Welfare Association called a strike over payments pending since February 2023.

 

The contractors warned Water Minister Atishi that their work would come to a halt if payments were released. In November, Atishi wrote to the lieutenant governor about the matter and said the finance department bureaucrats were plunging the city into a “severe man-made water crisis.”

 

With the summer season approaching and the Model Code of Conduct in place, the water utility's financial scarcity must be resolved soon; otherwise, the city will plunge into a crisis.

 

Delhi has been facing a water shortage with limited supply in many areas for many years. A decline in groundwater levels due to excessive extraction and inadequate recharge has led to concerns regarding water safety.

 

 

 

Spiking levels of ammonia in Yamuna are also a matter of concern. The DJB faces the problem of high ammonia in Yamuna water throughout the year, but it is relatively acute during January and March.

 

DJB is responsible for supplying Delhi with over 990 million gallons of water per day (MGD). The Chandrawal and Wazirabad plants provide a significant portion of this. Both these plants source their water from the Wazirabad pond, which is, in turn, fed by raw water from the river.

 

Officials from DJB have asserted that pollutants, including dyes, chlorides, and chemicals based on ammonia, originate from the Panipat industrial dye drain. They have stated that untreated water from Haryana industries is chiefly responsible for the high levels of ammonia in the river. However, the Haryana government has repeatedly denied these allegations.

 

In February, Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal made a poll promise and assured that if the INDIA bloc candidates were voted to power in Delhi, all water bills would be waived within 15 days of the poll results.

 

"In the Lok Sabha elections, you should vote for INDIA bloc candidates from Delhi and send them to Parliament. This will create a protective shield around Delhi, and no lieutenant governor will be able to do anything," the AAP national convenor said.

 

The problem of water shortage is glaring in many parts of Delhi, but in South Delhi, it’s severe. In many areas of South Delhi, a high-profile constituency with posh residential colonies and scattered unauthorised villages, water woes continue unabated. Every day, hundreds of Delhi Jal Board water trucks ply to reach areas with water shortages. Some places in Mehrauli, Sainik Farms, Chattarpur, and Sangam Vihar still experience water scarcity.

 

The flow of funds to tackle water shortage issues remains sluggish. Also, there are increasing complaints of dirty tap water and sewers overflowing. According to the Delhi government, nearly 4000 projects undertaken by the Delhi Jal Board are stuck due to paucity of funds.

With Delhi heading to the polls on May 25, all eyes are on whether residents will prioritise electing a candidate capable of addressing their concerns and enacting change or if communal factors will sway their votes.