Facing frequent complaints of water shortages from several parts of the city, the Delhi government is planning to rationalise water distribution to ensure a more equitable supply across neighbourhoods, irrespective of their socio-economic profile, Water Minister Parvesh Sahib Singh said on Monday.

Delhi’s water demand continues to rise every year while its available resources remain limited. During peak summer, the city requires nearly 1,250 million gallons per day (MGD) of water. However, a prolonged dry spell in the Yamuna has reduced production by nearly 100 MGD over the last several days, affecting supplies in parts of the city.

Singh told The Indian Express that complaints regarding water shortage have increased in the last 10 days. “Of the 70 Assembly constituencies in Delhi, while not all face a shortage of water, the majority of the complaints are received from 12-13 constituencies every summer. At the same time, there are areas receiving comparatively higher water supply. This imbalance has existed for years.”
“We are now working on a water rationalisation project to ensure that every resident, irrespective of where they live, gets equitable access to water,” Singh added.

The project is set to scientifically assess population density, demand patterns, supply levels and infrastructure availability across different parts of Delhi. The aim is to create a more balanced and efficient distribution system so that no locality remains underserved while others receive disproportionately higher supply, Singh said.

On complaints related to dirty water and shortage, the minister said that one of the biggest obstacles to efficient water distribution is Delhi’s ageing pipeline network. “Out of Delhi’s 16,634-km water distribution network, nearly 5,500 km of pipelines are more than 30 years old and about 3,000 km are 25-30 year old. These ageing lines are prone to leakages and contamination. Huge quantities of treated water are lost before reaching consumers,” he added.

“These old pipelines should have been fixed by the previous government… These cannot be fixed in just one year. The DJB (Delhi Jal Board) is working on a mission to replace old pipelines and strengthen the entire distribution system,” Singh said.

“The work that should have been done 10 or 20 years ago is now being taken up on priority. Replacing old pipelines, reducing leakages, modernising distribution systems and strengthening water infrastructure are essential if Delhi has to become water secure,” he further said.

According to Singh, DJB has already started repair and replacement work on a significant portion of the network while also increasing monitoring of water quality. Around 1,700 water samples are being collected daily to check contamination complaints from across the city, he said.

As part of a broader reform agenda, the DJB is also working on reducing Non-Revenue Water (NRW) – treated water lost due to leakages, theft and inefficiencies in the distribution system.

Further, Singh said, DJB is working on converting the open Delhi Sub-Branch (DSB) canal into a closed pipeline-based system. He added that at present, nearly 40-45% of water is currently lost through the canal network before it reaches consumers.

“To address water leakage, IIT Roorkee has been engaged to conduct a feasibility study. Once the canal is converted into a pipeline-based system, water losses will reduce drastically and supply efficiency will improve significantly,” he said.

“People should understand that Delhi’s water resources are finite while its population continues to grow. The answer is not only to bring more water to Delhi but also to manage every drop more efficiently. We are building a system that can serve Delhi not just today, but for decades to come,” said Singh.

He further said that the government is preparing long-term measures aimed at conservation and recycling through a ‘Dual Piping System’.
Under this model, highly treated recycled water will be supplied through a separate network for non-potable purposes such as toilet flushing, horticulture, landscaping, construction activities and vehicle washing, while freshwater will be reserved for drinking and household use.

“Delhi cannot afford to flush drinking water down toilets. Every day, large quantities of potable water are used for purposes that do not require drinking-quality water. By using highly treated recycled water for such activities, we can save millions of litres of freshwater daily. This is the future of urban water management and Delhi is moving decisively in that direction,” the minister said.

The government, Singh said, plans to begin implementing the dual piping system in government buildings and public institutions before expanding it to hotels, commercial establishments, group housing societies and large residential complexes. Incentives are also being considered for institutions and residential societies that adopt the system, he added.

The minister said Delhi has already contributed its share towards the Renuka Dam project, which is expected to be completed by 2032 and is likely to augment the Capital’s water supply.