Delhi Water Contamination: Kunwar Singh Colony Residents Struggle for Months As Complaints Fall on Deaf Ears

Delhi, January 8: Residents of Kunwar Singh Colony in West Delhi are reporting a growing health crisis as tap water supplies have allegedly been contaminated with sewage for the past two months. Local citizens have voiced urgent concerns over discolored water emitting a foul, sewer-like odor, which they claim is causing widespread illnesses, including vomiting, diarrhea, and chronic stomach pain. 

The situation has reached a critical point, with local medical practitioners reporting a significant spike in gastrointestinal cases. A local chemist noted that approximately 15 people visit his shop daily seeking treatment for symptoms related to waterborne infections. School Holidays Extended Across Uttar Pradesh, Delhi, and Haryana Amid Cold Wave; What You Need to Know.

The community's anxiety is further heightened by recent reports of a fatal water contamination tragedy in Indore's Bhagirathpura, as residents fear a similar catastrophe could occur in their neighborhood if the supply lines are not immediately repaired.

Delhi Water Contamination Triggers Health Crisis Concern

For many families in Kunwar Singh Colony, basic hygiene and hydration have become expensive challenges. Residents are currently spending between INR 40 and INR 50 daily on bottled water for drinking and cooking. Those who cannot afford the daily expense have resorted to using untreated borewell water or taking out loans to install high-end Reverse Osmosis (RO) filtration systems. Indore Water Crisis: Residents of Bakery Gali Claim Using Contaminated, Insect-Infested Water.

"We have been getting this sewage-mixed water for two months," one resident told reporters while displaying buckets of dark, murky water. Residents have highlighted a stark irony in their situation: while the water supplied is unusable for even basic cleaning, the monthly water bills continue to arrive. One local displayed a bill for INR 24,000, expressing frustration at being charged for a service that is currently a health hazard.

Community members claim that despite presenting physical evidence of contamination, Delhi Jal Board officials have dismissed their concerns, maintaining that the water is "safe" for consumption. Residents also expressed disappointment with their local MLA, who holds the health portfolio in the Delhi government, stating that their appeals for intervention have gone unanswered.

The credibility of official assurances has come under further scrutiny following reports that 23 out of 25 Delhi Jal Board water testing laboratories have recently lost their accreditation from the National Accreditation Board for Testing and Calibration Laboratories (NABL). This development has deepened the trust deficit between the citizens and the utility provider.

Kunwar Singh Colony is a densely populated residential pocket where aging infrastructure often leads to the overlapping of water supply lines and sewage pipes. During the monsoon or periods of pipe damage, suction created within the lines frequently causes cross-contamination.

While the DJB has previously initiated various "leakage detection" drives across the capital, the residents of West Delhi argue that these efforts have not reached their locality. As the contamination persists, the community continues to demand an immediate technical audit of the pipelines and the provision of water tankers until the source of the sewage leak is identified and sealed.

Indore Water Contamination Claims 18 Lives

Meanwhile, a severe water contamination crisis in Indore’s Bhagirathpura neighborhood has claimed at least 18 lives and sickened nearly 2,800 people since late December 2025. Investigations revealed that a decades-old Narmada drinking water pipeline, which passed directly beneath a public toilet built without a septic tank, had ruptured and allowed raw sewage to seep into the municipal supply.

Laboratory tests confirmed the presence of deadly pathogens, including E. coli and Vibrio cholerae, leading to a massive outbreak of gastroenteritis and multi-organ failure among residents.

(The above story first appeared on LatestLY on Jan 08, 2026 06:07 PM IST. For more news and updates on politics, world, sports, entertainment and lifestyle, log on to our website latestly.com).