DJB’s zones set to be redrawn to align with Delhi’s 13 districts

Delhi so far did not have uniform administrative units with powers vested in the respective District Magistrates (DMs).

The Delhi government is planning on restructuring the Delhi Jal Board (DJB)’s administrative units to align them with the city’s newly created 13 districts, a move aimed at creating a uniform bureaucratic framework across departments, senior officials aware of the government’s plan said on Tuesday.

DJB’s zones set to be redrawn to align with Delhi’s 13 districts

A senior government official said that the redrawing of the DJB’s service zones will ensure that no local circle falls under two different zones and people can access the services and get their grievances addressed at the same place.

“The cabinet has already approved creation of one mini secretariat for each district. These secretariats will have officials from all the departments. Besides DJB, a similar process will be followed in other departments to ensure uniformity in the administrative structure so that people can access depts at designated point in their district,” official added.

Under the current set up, the DJB administration is divided in four zones, or circles – Civil, West, East, Central and South – each headed by a chief engineer. “At the second tier are divisions. Last year, 11 divisions were restructured into 12 divisions to be on par with 12 circles of civil wing to ensure smooth functioning,” official explained. Each division is further subdivided into 2-3 sub-divisions which are then headed by an assistant or junior engineer.

Unlike other states, Delhi so far did not have uniform administrative units with powers vested in the respective District Magistrates (DMs), nor were systems organised according to the revenue department’s districts.

The initiative seeks to end the longstanding inconsistency where municipal zones, police districts, and utility service boundaries did not align. After adjusting the DJB, similar realignments are planned for other departments, including the Public Works Department, to centralize citizen services at the district level, according to an official aware of the plans.