Delhi water alert: DJB announces 2-day water cut in major areas to ensure safety after Indore incident

Residents of Delhi are being warned of a two-day water supply disruption on January 9 and 10, as the Delhi Jal Board will be carrying out the annual maintenance task on the Chandrawal Water Works. The reservoirs are to be flushed for the cleaning of the pipelines to facilitate the provision of clean water to the entire city.

Areas likely to face severe shortages

Posting an advisory on X, DJB wrote, " The annual flushing programme of reservoirs under the command area of Chandrawal Water Works for the year 2025-26 will be carried out"

Areas to be affected: Chandni Chowk, Lahori Gate, Pili Kohti, Kashmiri Gate, Civil Lines, Naya Bans, Mori Gate, along with many other hospitals such as St. Stephen’s Hospital, Hindu Rao Hospital, and Tirath Ram Hospital.

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Moreover, the water supply shall be cut-off for the regions affected by the “interconnection work,” which necessitates the connection of the recently installed 900mm water main at six different points. These regions include: Inder Puri, Todapur Village, Naraina Village, Naraina Vihar, Rajouri Garden, Tilak Nagar, Vishnu Garden, and others. People have been asked to stock water.

Safety measures after Indore tragedy

This is in the wake of a tragic event that took place in Indore’s Bhagirathpura, where 16 people lost their lives due to contaminated water. The Delhi government has asked the DJB to increase the checks to ensure that there are no leaks, especially around sewerage lines.

Billing issues add to consumer woes

Aside from this challenge, a recent internal report has shown serious flaws in the billing system operated by the DJB. Almost 60% of consumers do not get physical water bills, which counteracts government efforts such as “water bill amnesty" schemes.

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“We are planning to completely overhaul the DJB’s outdated billing system. Currently, only about 40% of registered customers are receiving physical water bills,” said Delhi's Water Minister, Parvesh Verma. "Many households are unaware of their bill pendency. Several people complain about not receiving bills for years, and then suddenly they receive a huge amount. Hence, software changes are required to make the system more efficient", he further added.

Officials confirmed that Delhi has around 2.9 million registered water connections, which is still far below the actual number of households in the city.

Considering the supply cuts that may occur in various important areas, people are advised to keep adequate water storage for the requirements for the coming two days. The DJB has assured that the process of maintenance will bring improved water quality and efficiency.