It could take three to four days to reconnect 10 million people in Delhi to the water supply after protests led to the Munak canal being sabotaged.
At the end of last week, Jat community protesters demanded more government jobs and took control of the Munak canal, the city’s main water source.
The canal supplies the majority of potable water to 16 million people in capital city Delhi.
The BBC reported that it would take up to four days before normal supplies resumed, quoting Keshav Chandra, head of Delhi’s water board.
Chandra reportedly said that prior warnings enabled some water to be saved, with tankers being dispatched to affected areas of the city.
The army have since taken control of parts of the canal, according to the BBC, with repairs expected to take time.
“Thank u army, thank u centre for securing munak canal back. Great relief for Delhi” said Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal on twitter.
In another tweet he said: "trying to assess in how much time water would reach Delhi and whether any damage had been done to the canal".
The land-owning, relatively affluent Jat community have been demanding inclusion in government quotas for jobs that have been available to lower casts since 1991,
India’s federal government has said it will set up a top-level committee to look into the grievances of the Jats, according to the BBC.
The Guardian reported that authorities in the northern state of Haryana, which borders Delhi, have reached a deal with leaders of the Jat caste, who are in discussions to stop the protest.
So far 19 people have reportedly died from the riots.
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