DJB plans to privatise its bottled water service JAL

Currently, DJB sells processed packaged drinking water under the brand name “JAL” in two variants — 20-litre jars and cartons of 24 smaller 250ml packs.

The Delhi Jal Board (DJB) is considering privatising its packaged bottled water services, senior government officials said, adding that plans are afoot to hire a third party to expand distribution and improve availability at more economical rates..

A DJB official noted that while government offices and events use JAL water, the commercial market is completely dominated by private companies packaging water in 20 litre jars and PET bottles. (REUTERS/representational image)

Water Minister Parvesh Verma said a private partner may be brought in on a revenue-sharing basis. “By involving a third party, availability and service quality can improve. We will formulate the policy, and the DJB can help run it efficiently and transparently,” he said.

Currently, DJB sells processed packaged drinking water under the brand name “JAL” in two variants — 20-litre jars and cartons of 24 smaller 250ml packs.

The bottling plant in Greater Kailash-1, near Sadiq Nagar, is fully automated and operates in three shifts, producing 3.5 lakh litres of water, which undergoes purification, activated carbon, and microfiltration processes.

“The bottled water is certified by the Bureau of Indian Standards and is put through stringent purification tests. But the availability remains restricted. They can only be bought from the 12 Suvidha Kendras, in places like Sadiq Nagar, Lajpat Nagar, Sarita Vihar, Varunalaya, Khanpur and Mandwali among others, or people can approach the GK-1 project director for bulk orders,” official said.

“We also provide options to the government Department, offices and societies but the sale remains mostly limited to government events,” official added. Earlier in 2019, the previous administration had proposed to introduce more user friendly water bottles by introducing 500ml and 1L bottles but the project did not sail through.

A DJB official noted that while government offices and events use JAL water, the commercial market is completely dominated by private companies selling 20 litre water jars. “People purchase drinking water from local vendors and shops where the quality of the water is unknown. If DJB can increase the sales in this segment, people will also have clean drinking water available,” the official said.

Data from the socio-economic survey of Delhi shows that around 7.7% houses in Delhi use bottled can water while another 5.04% get water access through water tankers.