Delhi's water woes: City turns to groundwater as shortage grows
Delhi is running short by 250 million gallons of water every day, with demand way ahead of supply.
To help fill the gap, the Delhi Jal Board (DJB) is turning to groundwater—especially in spots where water tables are still healthy.
Right now, all sources combined give about 1,000 MGD, but that's just not enough for everyone.
New tube wells popping up across the city
To boost supply fast, DJB plans to install hundreds of new tube wells in places like the Yamuna floodplain and Dwarka.
Groundwater extraction has jumped from 86 MGD in 2020 to 135 MGD this year.
Most of it comes from tube wells near treatment plants and thousands more scattered around the city—but only in areas where nature can handle it.
Extraction outpaces recharge—raising concerns
Here's the catch: Delhi is pulling more groundwater than it's putting back.
Nearly 80% of its tehsils are already over-exploited or critical.
Even though domestic use is the primary use of extracted groundwater, Diwan Singh, an environmental activist, warns this trend could spell trouble if recharge doesn't keep up.
Dwarka plant hopes to steady things
The new Dwarka Water Treatment Plant—with help from over 200 tube wells—aims to make west and southwest Delhi less dependent on outside sources and keep taps running reliably.