Delhi govt depts owe ₹63,000 crore in water dues to DJB, shows data

The biggest defaulter, the report states, is the Municipal Corporation of Delhi (MCD), with around ₹26,147 crore

Even as the Delhi government explores an amnesty scheme for residential water consumers, the city’s water utility is grappling with a deepening financial crisis,one that is worsened by a staggering ₹63,019 crore in unpaid dues from government departments, data has revealed.

Delhi govt depts owe ₹63,000 crore in water dues to DJB, shows data

According to the bill pendency report, seen by HT, the Delhi Jal Board (DJB) has reported bill pendency from 18 government departments — 10 under the central government and eight under the state — with nearly equal contribution to the mounting arrears. Of the total amount, ₹33,295.79 crore is owed by Delhi government departments, while ₹29,723.37 crore is pending from central agencies.

The biggest defaulter, the report states, is the Municipal Corporation of Delhi (MCD), with around ₹26,147 crore pending against 671 water connections — accounting for over 41% of the total dues.

Among Delhi government departments, the health department follows with ₹6,684 crore pending across 544 connections, while DSIIDC ( ₹269 crore), the education department ( ₹31.9 crore), and the public works department ( ₹86.7 crore) are also listed among key defaulters.

Among central government departments, the Railways top the list with dues of ₹21,530 crore, followed by Delhi Police with ₹6,097 crore across 354 connections, and the Delhi Development Authority (DDA) with ₹372.8 crore in arrears.

Responding to the issue, Delhi water minister Parvesh Verma said, “Water is a shared responsibility, and ensuring its uninterrupted supply requires collective effort. Resolving these financial bottlenecks will significantly strengthen our capacity to maintain and improve the city’s water infrastructure. We are committed to working with all stakeholders to ensure timely solutions in the best interest of every Delhi resident.”

On July 3, the government announced in-principle approval to waive 100% of the late payment surcharge (LPSC) on pending bills for domestic consumers. However, a decision on dues from government and commercial users — which make up the bulk of DJB’s outstanding revenue — is still pending, officials said.

According to officials familiar with the matter, DJB is also owed around ₹66,000 crore by commercial users and ₹15,000 crore by domestic users.

A significant portion of the total pendency is due to the steep penalties applied through LPSC, which is currently calculated at 18% compound interest. The government is reportedly considering moving away from this model and reducing surcharge rates to prevent inflated billing.

The issue of unpaid government water bills is longstanding. In 2020, the then administration had flagged the issue, but officials say payment disputes persist due to misclassification of connections under commercial categories, and unresolved discrepancies from unmetered or non-functional connections.

DJB officials said reconciliation of records is underway and a revenue management software upgrade is in progress. The amnesty scheme is expected to launch within the next two months. The government also plans to increase the number of metered connections and phase out faulty mechanical meters in favour of smart meters, in a bid to reduce manual interference and improve billing accuracy.

HT reached out to MCD, CPWD and Delhi Police on the issue, but it did not receive a response from them.