Delhi Jal Board to come up with bill settlement scheme

The board approved the establishment of 10 underground water reservoirs and a new 300-km water supply network, and resolved regulations related to the replacement of faulty meters

The Delhi Jal Board (DJB), in a meeting held on Wednesday, approved several projects related to the overhaul of the water-supply infrastructure and the mechanism to redress consumer grievances, and the water utility is expected to bring out a one-time settlement scheme for inflated bills in the next one week.

Deputy chief minister Manish Sisodia, who also holds the water portfolio as DJB chairman, said the government has been receiving complaints from all quarters regarding inflated water bills. (ANI)

In the meeting, the board approved the establishment of 10 underground water reservoirs and a new 300-km water supply network, and resolved regulations related to the replacement of faulty meters, empowering the consumers to replace their existing non-functional water meters.

Deputy chief minister Manish Sisodia, who also holds the water portfolio as DJB chairman, said in the meeting, several critical projects to strengthen the water supply and sewerage network in the national capital were approved, and these projects will help Delhi to move a step forward to ensure 24x7 water supply to residents.

Sisodia also said that the government has been receiving complaints from all quarters regarding inflated water bills. “To resolve the matter, it has been decided that within a week’s time, DJB will come up with a one-time settlement scheme for people who are facing issues with their water bills, which will be then implemented by the government,” he said.

To be sure, the state government’s economic survey 2021-22 stated that Delhi’s water requirement in 2021 was 1,380 million gallons per day (mgd), based on the norm of 60 gallons per capita per day, and the government has targeted a water supply of around 1,000mgd under its Summer Action Plan 2022.

DJB has also provided details about the existing late payment surcharge waiver scheme, under which consumers can avail 100% waiver on penalties on their pending bills by paying the original amount till January 31.

“There are 2.6 million water connections under the DJB, of which owners of 1.8 million connections have no issue with their bills, but the bills of 800,000 connections have been pending due to some issue or the other. In the previous meeting of the DJB, it was decided that a 100% late surcharge will be waived on the pending water bills to clear the pendency. Nearly 450,000 consumers have taken benefit of this late payment surcharge scheme, and DJB has received ₹252 crore through this,” a DJB official said.