Delhi's water supply situation showed signs of improvement, but ammonia levels in the Yamuna river have yet to return to normal. The Wazirabad Water Treatment Plant is operating at 90% capacity, while other plants are at full capacity. Officials expect normalisation by late Saturday night.
The disruption began on January 20, 2026, when a maintenance-related diversion in Haryana's canal network caused a sudden spike in ammonia levels in the Yamuna river, making the water temporarily unfit for treatment in Delhi. The level reached an unprecedented 6.5 parts per million (ppm) on January 21, far above the normal threshold of below 1 ppm. This affected water production at Haiderpur Phase I and II, Bawana, Dwarka, and Nangloi plants, leading to shortages in areas like Rajouri Garden, Pitampura, Dwarka, and parts of Rohini on January 21 and 22.
Delhi Jal Board (DJB) officials explained that the "blind closure" of the Parallel Delhi Branch canal—a part of the Munak canal network—and diversion by the Haryana Irrigation and Water Resources department halted raw water supply through the Delhi sub-branch canal. The diversion from Khubru barrage in Haryana brought pollution from cities, exacerbating the issue. On January 22, maintenance work was discontinued to restore the normal supply route.
By Saturday morning, the city's water supply had almost normalised, with all canal-based plants in Haiderpur, Bawana, Dwarka, and Nangloi operating at full capacity, along with Chandrawal and Okhla. However, the Wazirabad Water Treatment Plant continued at about 90% capacity, as ammonia in its reservoir remained around 2.3 ppm. One DJB official noted, "Wazirabad WTP is operating at about 90% capacity, as the ammonia level... is still around 2.3 ppm." Another source reported 85% capacity and 2.5 ppm. Officials expect the plant to function normally late Saturday once levels drop further.
Environmentalist Bhim Singh Rawat of the South Asia Network on Dams, Rivers and People highlighted, "The more worrying issue is that pollution in Yamuna river is rendering Wazirabad WTP ineffective... revealing how untreated industrial effluents... from Haryana are entering the river. This raises serious questions on the role... of the Haryana State Pollution Control Board." Atul Goyal from United Residents Joint Action mentioned delayed supply in Karol Bagh, while Rejimon CK of the Dwarka Residents Association Forum confirmed restoration in his area.
