Delhi's water production fell by about 80-100 MGD in summer 2026 when the Yamuna pond level at Wazirabad dropped to near 668 feet, against a normal 674.5 feet, the Water Minister said on May 30, 2026. On June 1 output stood at 912 MGD against a target of 1,002 MGD.
One river carries most of the load
Delhi Jal Board's 2018-19 action plan allocated 540 MGD of the city's 910 MGD of raw water to the Yamuna and the Bhakra Beas system, about 59%. The Ganga supplied 240 MGD, wells 81 MGD and recycled water 49 MGD. Officials told the Chief Minister in March 2026 that the city receives about 1,000 MGD against a requirement of nearly 1,250 MGD.
Floods and droughts hit the same plants
In July 2023 a Yamuna flood shut the Wazirabad, Chandrawal and Okhla treatment plants. In summer 2026 low flows cut output at Wazirabad and Chandrawal, and Haryana assured 1,000 cusecs through the Munak canal. In June 2024 the Supreme Court left Delhi's request for an additional 150 cusecs to the Upper Yamuna River Board.
The short-term answers are small
For summer 2026 the Board added 436 to 456 tube wells, yielding about 10 MGD, an eighth to a tenth of what Wazirabad lost. Upstream storage is further off: six states, including Delhi, signed the Kishau dam agreement on September 15, 2026, for storage of about 1,562 million cubic meters. Treated wastewater offers more: about 483 MGD was available for reuse in August 2026, against about 120 MGD reused.
Who controls each part of Delhi's water system, how its plants and sewers perform, and where Rs 8,941.22 crore of new projects fit are covered in the report. The full report, Water Systems Overview: Delhi Jal Board, is available for USD 499. For a free overview, read the Delhi Jal Board Utility Snapshot.