Delhi faces drinking water shortage as rising Yamuna shuts 3 water plants

Parts of the Indian capital will hit by an acute drinking water shortage as the Delhi government closed three major water treatment plants on Thursday (July 13) after the rain-swollen Yamuna river rose menacingly.

“There is going to be an acute shortage of water,” Kejriwal told the media after a meeting of the Delhi Disaster Management Authority (DDMA) meeting.

“The water production from three plans has been reduced by 25 per cent,” he said. “Water rationing will have to be done and people face a shortage of water for the next one or two days.”

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Kejriwal said that due to a sharp increase in the Yamuna water level, many water treatment plants had to be closed.

“I visited the Wazirabad plant on the banks of the Yamuna. We will start it as soon as the situation turns to normalcy,” he tweeted.

Water plants shut

He earlier announced the closure of the Wazirabad, Chandrawal and Okhla water treatment plants.

“Due to this, there will be a problem of water supply in some areas. These plants will start functioning as soon as the Yamuna water recedes,” he added.

The chief minister said the water supply may be affected in parts of the city due to the shutting down of the treatment plants.

Also Read: Delhi floods: Govt offices, school, colleges to remain closed in Delhi till Sunday

The Delhi Disaster Management Authority (DDMA) decided to ration water supply in the city after the closure of the treatment plants.

The Yamuna swelled to a staggering 208.62 metres at 1 pm on Thursday, inundating nearby streets and public and private infrastructure besides causing immense hardship to people.

The water level at the Old Railway Bridge near the Yamuna crossed the 208-metre mark on Wednesday night and rose to 208.48 metres by 8 am on Thursday.

Yamuna river

The level was expected to rise further, said the Central Water Commission, which described it as an “extreme situation”.

The Yamuna originates in Uttarakhand and merges with the Ganges in Allahabad in Uttar Pradesh. It accounts for more than 70 per cent of Delhi’s water supply.

(With agency inputs)