- Residents of Delhi's Janakpuri get discoloured, foul-smelling water for 6-7 months
- Repeated complaints filed, but water quality remains poor and unsafe
- Health issues like typhoid and jaundice reported due to contaminated water
In a residential block in West Delhi's Janakpuri, 86-year-old Vimla Arora pauses before turning on the tap. When she does, muddy, foul-smelling water flows out, something she says she has been dealing with for the past six to seven months.
In NDTV's ground check, the experience was no different. Water coming through taps in multiple homes was discoloured and foul-smelling, forcing families to depend on bottled supplies for drinking and cooking.
Residents say they have filed repeated complaints over the past year, but with little change on the ground.
The problem has surfaced repeatedly in recent months in the area that falls under Hari Nagar assembly constituency. Earlier tests by the Central Pollution Control Board found contamination in water samples from parts of Janakpuri, pointing to possible sewage mixing, something residents say reflects what they continue to see inside their homes.
A retired school principal who lives alone, Vimla Arora says the issue has gradually reshaped her daily routine. "For the past 6-7 months, dirty water like sewage has been coming. We have no choice but to throw it away."
She now depends on smaller bottled water because osteoporosis makes it difficult for her to lift larger cans. The situation has also begun to affect her personal life, she says she hasn't been able to invite her son over since his recent marriage.
"It has become unbearable now. The smell is so foul that we can't even stand inside the house."
She avoids using the water even for her plants, which she says she has raised "like children".
In the same building, 85-year-old KP Mahajan says he has not seen conditions like this in decades. "I haven't even turned on the tap today. You haven't seen how bad the water gets."
On some days, he avoids using the supply altogether. The stench, he says, is difficult to manage, with residents often running fans inside their homes to cope. He adds that authorities need to fix the issue urgently, and if not, residents should be relocated.
What began as a daily inconvenience is now raising health concerns. Jagmeet Singh, 61, says both he and his daughter have fallen ill in recent months. "I suffered from typhoid in September 2025, and it took me two months to recover. My daughter also suffered from jaundice because of this dirty water."
The family initially tried boiling the water but has now shifted completely to bottled supplies. Access to clean water, he says, is a basic right and requires urgent attention. Residents say they have repeatedly approached authorities, filing more than a dozen complaints with engineers and senior officials.
"Authorities claim on social media that cleaning drives have started and the situation has improved, but on the ground, there has been no change." They say the issue is no longer just about inconvenience, but about health and daily survival.
A Delhi Jal Board (DJB) official said the problem has been traced to a sewer line being in a surcharge condition. "The main cause was identified as the sewer being in a surcharge condition. The work for the replacement of the sewer has been started. In the meantime, regular flushing is being carried out to manage the situation."
Residents say that despite these assurances, the situation has seen little improvement. Many continue to rely on bottled water while dealing with supply that smells like sewage.
