Partial relief as water supply improves in Dwarka; DJB pins hope on new WTP
Residents had described the shortage as among the worst seen in decades, with several RWAs spending lakhs of rupees for over a month on water tankers to maintain daily supply.
DJB water tanker at Madhur Jeewan Apartment, in Sector 10. Days after The Indian Express reported a severe water shortage across several sectors in Dwarka, particularly in Cooperative Group Housing Society (CGHS) pockets, residents said on Wednesday that water supply has improved over the past few days, reducing dependency on tankers in some complexes, though the crisis is far from over.
Residents had described the shortage as among the worst seen in decades, with several RWAs spending lakhs of rupees for over a month on water tankers to maintain daily supply.
While residents said Delhi Jal Board (DJB) officials have visited affected areas, uneven and low pressure supply continued to affect several societies, especially those located at the tail end of the distribution network under Command Tank 2. Earlier this week, the DJB had said that at least seven CGHS societies in Dwarka were facing short supply issues due to their location at the “tail end of distribution network in Command of CT-2 Madhu Vihar”.
According to a senior DJB official, supply has improved recently following rectification work on gate valves in parts of Sector 10. “A more sustainable resolution is expected only after the upcoming 50 MGD Dwarka WTP, being built to augment supply in the sub-city and nearby areas, becomes operational,” the official said.
“The plant is ready, but we are awaiting raw water supply. Once it is functional, the water supply could definitely improve,” the official said, adding that the plant is tentatively expected to be operational by July.
Officials said that while the infrastructure for the plant is complete, the main bottleneck remains the availability of raw water. At present, Dwarka’s supply depends on treated water routed through existing WTPs into command tanks before it is distributed to the sectors through pipelines. This system often results in pressure drops in tail-end areas such as parts of sectors 6, 10 and 11.
The new WTP is expected to ease this burden by adding substantial treatment capacity closer to the point of consumption. However, to get the additional raw water needed for the plant, diversion from existing sources or alternative arrangements are required. “These issues are still being worked out at the government level,” said a source.
Residents, however, remain cautious.
Anil Kundra, general secretary of Dwarka Forum and IDC CGHS in Sector 11, said his society’s dependence on water tankers has reduced in recent days. “We have seen improvement and dependency on water tankers has reduced. But there is still apprehensions since it is summer,” he said, adding that the society had spent around Rs 1.4 lakh on water tankers for its 107 members last month.
Sudha Iyer, joint secretary of Dwarka Forum and RWA member of Shivalik Apartments in Sector 6, said that while water pressure has improved slightly after visits by DJB officials, the relief is uneven. “The situation in Sector 10 continues to be bad… the request for tankers continues…,” she added.
Residents of Thiruvizhai Apartments and Sanskriti Apartments in Sector 10 also said they continue to depend on water tankers.
Officials said that supply at the tail end of the network remains a challenge, with some areas still relying on tankers to fill underground reservoirs. DJB executive engineer Chander Prakash has recently closed a resident’s grievance from Sector 11 saying, “Water supply is not reaching the tail-end distribution network and supply is being done by tankers to fill the location of underground reservoirs. Further improvement work is being carried out.”
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