Delhi’s growing population and climate change are exacerbating the city’s water crisis, with a significant gap between demand and supply. The Delhi Jal Board, responsible for water supply, faces challenges in obtaining raw water due to infrastructure deficiencies, inter-state disputes, and groundwater pollution.
Key findings:
Delhi’s population is growing at 2.12% per annum, making it difficult for civic agencies to provide essential services.
25-30% of the population lives in unauthorised colonies and slums, lacking access to basic services.
There is a gap of 344 million gallons a day between demand (1,290 mgd) and supply (946 mgd).
Climate change is intensifying water scarcity and water-related hazards.
The brief highlights the need to:
Augment the raw water base
Improve water management
Address infrastructure deficiencies
Resolve inter-state water sharing disputes
Reduce groundwater pollution
The paper aims to build an understanding of Delhi’s raw water collection process and the problems faced, to inform strategies for raw water augmentation and improve the city’s water resilience.