Parts of Delhi may face water shortage after the closure period of the Upper Ganga Canal for its annual maintenance was extended by over a week.

Three important water treatment plants (WTPs) — Wazirabad, Bhagirathi and Sonia Vihar — are now working at least 15 per cent below their normal capacity due to low raw water supply.

Lutyen’s Delhi and parts of Central, South and East Delhi are likely to be affected in the next two days. Areas like Khan Market, Gole Market, Lodhi Road, Karol Bagh, Paharganj, Azad Market, Rajinder Nagar, Patel Nagar, Greater Kailash, Civil Lines, Patparganj, Preet Vihar, Lakshmi Nagar, Shahdara, Dilshad Garden and Mayur Vihar are expected to face water shortage till Friday morning.

The UP Irrigation Department and the Delhi Jal Board had earlier announced that the annual closure for maintenance of the canal would be effected from September 29 to October 17 — the period of least water requirement for irrigation.

“Because of the extension of the closure period of Upper Ganga Canal by the UP Irrigation Department by about eight days, the availability of on-line (raw water) storage from the Ganga system has reduced,” a communiqué issued by the DJB on Tuesday said. As an interim arrangement, water from Yamuna was being diverted to areas that get water from Ganga.

The water level at the Wazirabad Canal has gone down due to excessive usage.

In order to maintain the required water levels at the Wazirabad pond, which gets Yamuna water from Haryana, the production of the Wazirabad, Bhagirathi and Sonia Vihar WTPs had to be reduced by 20 per cent.

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