Hauz Khas residents turn to bottled water and lab tests as contamination woes persist
Residents of Hauz Khas in South Delhi continued to face a severe water contamination ordeal on Wednesday, forcing many households to rely on bottled water and send tap water samples for laboratory testing. Despite assurances from the Delhi Jal Board (DJB) that the issue would be resolved on priority, murky and foul-smelling water has continued to flow through taps in the neighbourhood.
The ongoing crisis has particularly affected parts of Z Block and adjoining areas in Hauz Khas. Residents reported receiving muddy, cloudy, and foul-looking water over the past week, prompting widespread health and safety concerns.
Veronica Francis, a local resident, noted that the water quality has fluctuated wildly over the last six to seven days. She observed morning water supply streaked with black swirls that eventually dissolved. Francis has sent samples from her main water tank and kitchen drinking outlet for testing, and she is currently using mineral water until the safety of the tap supply is confirmed.
Manoranjan Singh, the head of the federation of Resident Welfare Associations (RWAs) in Hauz Khas, stated that the issue has not been fully resolved despite ongoing repair work by the DJB. He highlighted that residents remain deeply concerned about the quality of water reaching their homes and the state of underground storage tanks.
In Y-Block, RWA member Anjali Gupta described the situation as a public health emergency. According to Gupta, multiple colonies have reported water contamination, foul smells, and shortages over the past two weeks. She added that residents have suffered from health issues including diarrhoea, stomach infections, vomiting, and severe stomach aches, prompting some families to switch entirely to bottled water and private tanker supplies.
Gupta also raised questions about whether ageing pipelines are the sole cause of the issue, pointing out that contamination appeared to move from block to block while neighbouring streets received relatively clean water. Residents are demanding greater transparency regarding the source of contamination, water quality testing, and infrastructure repairs.
A DJB official attributed the contamination primarily to ageing infrastructure, stating that workers had found and repaired very old, broken pipes. The official mentioned that only one repair point remains pending and predicted the issue would be resolved in a few days. The official also suggested that poorly executed ferrule connections by local plumbers could contribute to leakages and contamination.
