Residents of Baprola village, who had not been getting any water for the last 12 days, gheraoed S.K. Chhabra, the engineer-in-chief of the Water Board on Tuesday in protest.

According to Congress MLA Mukesh Sharma, water was supplied to the area from the Najafgarh booster pump but it was disconnected recently. The residents had been pleading with Water Board officials for restoration of water supply ever since.

Sharma said that the officials of Water Board ignored their pleas and also did not bother to send any water tanker in their area. Meanwhile, residents of East of Kailash are also planning a demonstration to protest against the water shortage. According to Rita Jha, a resident: ``It has been a month of living without proper water supply. Everyday we have to call for tankers. Sometime they come and sometime they do not. We cannot live in such conditions any longer and will organise a dharna within a day or two, most probably outside the residence of our area MP and Minister for Information and Broadcasting, Sushma Swaraj.''

Dwellers of Rohini, Sector 17 have also been complaining about inadequate water supply. According to C.S. Kapoor, general secretary, Block A, LIG Houses Resident Welfare Association, ``Water is only available on the ground floor in Pockets A-5 and A-6. The supply has been at low pressure for the last one month and all complaints to the officials concerned have failed to bring succour. We don't know what to do anymore.'

'Similarly, residents of Sultanpuri and Jawalapuri demonstrated at the ITO crossing on the evening of June 1 to protest against the shortage of water and electricity in their area. The irate residents gathered at Raj Ghat and armed with empty earthen pots and candles, marched towards ITO. The demonstrators were led by MLA Jai Kishan. In an effort to help the residents of south Delhi, especially those residing in the JJ clusters and resettlement colonies, a resident, Baldev Arya, has started supplying free water. Arya, who had unsuccessfully contested the MCD elections last year, said that one truck with two 2,000-litre tanks was used to supply water at Sangam Vihar, Block-S, Block-G, Block K-2, Block M, Block L-2, JJ camp and resettlement colony in Tigri, Bhumiheen Harijan colony, Krishna Park, Jawahar Park and Raju Park.

``I have had a boring pump installed outside my office in Krishna Park and we collect water from there and then the truck is sent to these areas. The situation is very bad in Sangam Vihar as the water level has gone down and handpumps have become redundant. In other areas, however, we send the truck only when we receive complaints,'' said Arya.