Water shortages and dirty supply hit Zakhira and Sultanpuri residents
Residents in the Northwest Delhi locality of Amar Park in Zakhira and Sultanpuri in West Delhi are facing severe water shortages and contaminated supplies, with some taps running dry for months and others flowing with dark, foul-smelling water. Reported on June 21, 2026, the ongoing crisis has forced households to rely on scarce Delhi Jal Board (DJB) tankers due to reduced production at key water treatment plants.
In Amar Park, rows of plastic drums and buckets have lined the roadsides as residents wait for DJB tankers. The routine has become common this summer because overall DJB water production has fallen below peak demand.
A few kilometres away in West Delhi's Sultanpuri, residents reported similar water shortage concerns. In W Block, the pipeline supply has allegedly been stopped for nearly two years, according to 30-year-old resident Iqbal Chaudhary.
Chaudhary stated that nearly 500 people, including those at a nearby mosque, depend on the supply in the area. He noted that the locality receives only one or two tankers a week, which fails to meet the high demand, providing less than five litres of water per person.
In addition to the shortage, residents face severe water contamination. Chaudhary reported that taps have been dry for six months, and when water does flow, it is highly contaminated, black, and smells like sewage. Another Sultanpuri resident echoed these concerns, stating that nobody has looked into the serious shortage issues.
The affected localities fall under the Chandrawal Water Treatment Plant supply zone, which feeds Central-West Delhi, and also receive support from the Wazirabad network. DJB officials attributed the disruptions across the capital to reduced production at both the Wazirabad and Chandrawal plants, which are operating below capacity due to low raw water levels in the Yamuna River.
Following complaints from the residents regarding the water quality, DJB officials stated that water samples have been collected from the affected locality and sent for laboratory testing.
