Delhi’s water supply is set to come under pressure for about 20 days after cleaning work on Uttar Pradesh’s Upper Ganga Canal halted the flow of Ganga water reaching two major treatment plants in the capital, according to a report by Navbharat Times citing Delhi Jal Board officials.
The interruption began on the night of 20 October and is expected to continue until the night of 8 November. The affected supply network covers parts of East, North-East, South-East and South Delhi, as well as areas of New Delhi. Residents who normally receive water from the Sonia Vihar and Bhagirathi treatment plants may have to depend more heavily on water drawn from the Yamuna during the maintenance period.
The Upper Ganga Canal supplies between 240 million gallons per day and 250 million gallons per day to Delhi through the Muradnagar regulator. From there, the Delhi Jal Board brings the water through a 24-kilometre pipeline to the Sonia Vihar and Bhagirathi treatment plants.
The Sonia Vihar plant has a treatment capacity of 140 million gallons per day. Its distribution network includes Mayur Vihar, Shakarpur, Laxmi Nagar, Pandav Nagar, Kondli, Trilokpuri, New Ashok Nagar, Seelampur, Welcome, Jafrabad, Dilshad Garden, Shahdara, Vivek Vihar, Yamuna Vihar, Gokulpuri, Karawal Nagar and neighbouring areas. The plant also supplies parts of South-East and South Delhi and New Delhi.
The Bhagirathi Water Treatment Plant has a capacity of about 110 million gallons per day. It supplies Gokulpur, Bhagirathi Vihar, Dilshad Garden, Yamuna Vihar, Seelampur, Bhajanpura, Mustafabad, Shahdara, Vivek Vihar and surrounding parts of North-East Delhi. The report said a substantial population in East and North-East Delhi depends on these two plants, while separately estimating that the broader disruption could affect 50 lakh to 60 lakh people. The report does not provide a single consistent population estimate for the affected network.
The disruption highlights the dependence of Delhi’s treated-water system on supply infrastructure located outside the city. The water is not only sourced beyond Delhi’s administrative boundary but also travels through a regulator and a dedicated long-distance pipeline before it can be treated and distributed to households. A planned canal-cleaning operation can therefore affect several districts even when the maintenance work is not taking place inside the capital.
Delhi officials have sought additional water from Haryana during the interruption. According to the report, the Delhi government has asked Haryana to release extra water into the Yamuna from the Hathnikund barrage for the next 20 to 21 days. The report does not state whether Haryana has approved the request or quantify the additional volume that may be released.
The immediate impact on individual localities will depend on how the Delhi Jal Board manages available Yamuna water and distributes supplies across the affected network. The Upper Ganga Canal cleaning work is scheduled to continue until the night of 8 November, after which the normal flow arrangement is expected to be restored according to the schedule cited in the report.
