NEW DELHI: In a significant move aimed at providing relief to city residents, Chief Minister Rekha Gupta has announced a 100% waiver on late payment surcharges (LPSC) for water bills.
The waiver, which covers approximately Rs 11,000 crore in overdue surcharges, applies to domestic consumers who clear their pending water bills by January 31, 2026.
The Late Payment Surcharge Waiver Scheme offers full relief from late payment charges if outstanding water dues are paid by the deadline.
Payments can be made either in lump sum or in installments, but the waiver will only apply once the principal amount has been fully settled. The government also announced a 70% waiver on late payment charges for payments made between 1 February and 31 March 2026.
Chief Minister Gupta described the initiative as a “Diwali gift” for the people of Delhi, stressing that the scheme is designed to encourage timely payments while also easing the financial burden on residents.
Water Minister Parvesh Sahib Singh reinforced the government’s intent to improve the efficiency of the Delhi Jal Board, adding that the waiver will be a one-time opportunity for consumers to clear their dues without additional penalties. The Delhi government is also launching the Unauthorised Water and Sewer Connection Regularisation Scheme, which aims to address the issue of illegal connections.
This scheme offers substantial reductions in penalties for consumers with unauthorised water or sewer connections. For domestic connections, the penalty has been reduced from Rs 25,000 to just Rs 1,000, while non-domestic connections will face a reduced penalty of Rs 5,000, down from Rs 61,000. However, the waiver applies only to penalties, and regular water and sewer charges, along with infrastructure fees, must still be paid. The regularisation scheme will remain in effect until January 31 2026, after which any unregularised connections will be disconnected, the CM said.
Addressing the technical challenges that had previously hindered the smooth processing of water bills, the Delhi Jal Board has upgraded its billing system to ensure greater efficiency. The Board has also reorganised its regional offices, with new structures to strengthen billing and revenue operations, ensuring that consumers can now access services more effectively.