New Delhi, Feb 24 (IANS): Though the Delhi Jal Board (DJB) has claimed to have made the necessary preparations to ensure adequate water supply in the city during the upcoming summer months, people in the national capital may face water shortage as the Bhakra-Nangal dam in Punjab, through which Delhi receives 220 MGD water daily, will remain shut for over a month for maintenance work.

"Due to repair and maintenance work, the Bhakra-Nangal dam in Punjab will be shut from March 3 to April 24, 2021," a source in the Delhi government told IANS.

The source said that after receiving information about the closure of the dam for one-and-a-half months, the officials at the Delhi Jal Board are busy finding an alternate solution to ensure adequate water supply during this time period, when the mercury starts to soar in the national capital.

Replying to a query on whether the shutdown of the dam will affect water availability in Delhi, a senior official said on condition of anonymity, "Yes, it will have its effect. If the Bhakra-Nangal dam is shut, Delhi's water availability could come down by 25 per cent. DJB produces around 930 MGD water daily through all its resources and if 220 MGD water, which comes from the Bhakra-Nangal dam, stops coming, water supply to the national capital is likely to get affected."