More tankers, increased water quality monitoring: Delhi Govt ramps up efforts to avoid water shortage during summer

The meeting was attended by Water Minister Parvesh Sahib Singh, Chief Secretary Rajeev Verma, DJB CEO Kaushal Raj Sharma, and other senior officials.

Officials informed the meeting that Delhi, with a population of around 2.5 crore, requires about 1,250 million gallons of water per day (MGD) as per standard norms. At present, the city receives roughly 1,000 MGD, and the summer action plan has been designed to manage this gap more effectively during peak demand, said officials.

Following the meeting, the CM said that under the plan, maximum water production will be ensured from all water treatment plants in the city.

She added that preventive measures such as cleaning underground and surface reservoirs, repairing pumping stations, maintaining equipment, and monitoring and repairing pipeline leakages have already been carried out to avoid any disruption in water supply during the summer.

“Delhi government’s priority is to ensure that every resident of the Capital receives clean and adequate drinking water even during the peak summer months. This plan is a comprehensive initiative aimed at strengthening water supply management, monitoring systems, and grievance redressal across the city,”said Gupta.

To provide relief to areas facing water shortages, the government has further strengthened the water tanker system, officials said.

According to officials, DJB has deployed 168 departmental tankers and 819 hired tankers, and around 200 additional tankers may be hired during peak summer depending on the demand for water.

To make tanker operations more transparent and efficient, a driver mobile application has been introduced. Through this app, tankers will be tracked using GPS, and water deliveries will be confirmed through photographic proof, said CM.

This will allow officials to monitor operations in real time, while residents will also be able to track tanker movements in their areas.

Gupta also said that under the Summer Action Plan, detailed arrangements have been prepared for each Assembly constituency. These include colony-wise water supply hours, tanker routes, identification of water shortage locations, and mapping of sensitive areas so that immediate action can be taken whenever required, the CM added.

Monitoring water quality is also a key component of the plan. DJB tests around 1,600 to 1,700 water samples daily. Laboratories at water treatment plants and zonal labs across the city carry out these tests. In addition, the number of water sampling vehicles will be increased from 12 to 18 to strengthen monitoring across the distribution network, officials said.

Gupta also highlighted that the DJB’s round-the-clock call centre is operational for quick resolution of public complaints. The CM said that people can register complaints anytime by calling 1916 or the toll-free number 1800117118.

A central control room and chatbot system have also been introduced to speed up complaint registration and monitoring, officials said.

To handle water-related emergencies, 28 Water Emergency Centres have been set up across the city. These centres operate round-the-clock and have been strengthened with adequate staff, communication systems, and monitoring mechanisms to ensure swift response in case of any disruption, officials added.