What to do when the water doesn’t come

First, find out if it’s just you

1. Check your building first: a shut valve, an empty sump or a failed pump looks the same as a water cut.
2. Ask a neighbour, or look at your pincode page to see what others reported today.
3. Check the time. Many colonies get water for only an hour or two, so you may simply have missed it.

Tell the people who can fix it

A clear message gets a faster answer. In Delhi, our complaint helper writes one for you in English or Hindi.

1. Call your water board’s helpline and ask for a complaint number. In Delhi that’s 1916.
2. Call your junior engineer if the helpline doesn’t help. Delhi pincode pages list their numbers.
3. Report it on watercut, so neighbours know it isn’t only their house.

Make what you have last

1. Keep drinking and cooking water separate, covered and clean.
2. Reuse what you can: water from washing vegetables can flush a toilet or water plants.
3. Wash dishes and clothes in a bucket or tub, not under a running tap.
4. If it will last days, order a tanker early, and share one with neighbours to split the cost.