Near water, yet so far

People in the Yamuna floodplains of Delhi have to rely on tankers despite being so near a major water source

This location is the floodplains of the Yamuna river in Delhi. Photo: Vikas Choudhary/CSE

Published on:

21 Apr 2026, 11:48 am

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These photos show a ‘tanker’ supplying drinking water to the residents of the Yamuna floodplains in Delhi, as demand has surged with soring temperatures.

But despite being near a major water source, the precious liquid has to be availed by these people through tankers.Photo: Vikas Choudhary/CSE

But they also highlight something else: the inaccessibility of water to these people despite being so near a major water source.

The Yamuna aquifers have the potential to provide ~250 million cubic meters of water annually.

Water, the elixir of life, thus becomes a commodity and the right to access it is denied to those on the margins of society.Photo: Vikas Choudhary/CSE

But demand often exceeds supply and private suppliers or ‘water mafias’ step in, operating illegally in these areas.

Water, the elixir of life, thus becomes a commodity and the right to access it is denied to those on the margins of society.

Delhi