NEW DELHI: As the Delhi government gears up to present its budget for the financial year 2025-26 on March 25, various departments are finalising their financial proposals. Among them, the Delhi Jal Board has proposed a budget exceeding Rs 9,000 crore, with a significant portion earmarked for improving the city’s sewerage infrastructure.
As per officials, over 60 per cent of the proposed allocation around Rs 5,500 crore—will be dedicated to repairing and upgrading the sewerage system, addressing sewer blockages and overflows. Additionally, a budget of approximately Rs 2,000 crore has been proposed for the construction of a new sewage treatment plant to enhance waste water management, they added.
The Jal Board has also outlined plans to replace old sewer lines in both authorised and regularised unauthorised colonies across the city. For this, Rs 700 crore has been allocated to repair existing lines, while a separate provision of Rs 1,000 crore has been made for laying new sewer networks in areas that currently lack proper sewage facilities, officials said further. To further improve sanitation, Rs 100 crore has been set aside for purchasing new sewer-cleaning machines.
“Delhi has approximately 1,799 unauthorised colonies, many of which still do not have proper sewer connections. Our budget proposal aims to expand sewage infrastructure in these localities,” an official commented.
The proposal aligns with the BJP-led government’s 100-day agenda, which places a strong emphasis on improving Delhi’s sanitation and sewage infrastructure. Meanwhile, the DJB has started working on the summer action plan of the city government.
According to officials, the work on repairing booster pumping stations and cleaning underground reservoirs has started so that by the end of this month, the work can be wrapped up and focus can be on water supply as the agency expects a harsher summer. PWD minister Parvesh Verma will hold weekly review meetings with DJB officials to assess water supply, sewer system improvements, and enhance transparency in water distribution.
Budget session set to start on stormy note
The budget session of the Delhi Assembly is set to begin on a stormy note on Monday, with the ruling BJP and opposition AAP confronting each other on the CAG report on the DTC and the “Mahila Samriddhi Yojana”. Chief Minister Rekha Gupta, who also holds the finance portfolio, will table the first budget of the BJP government in more than 26 years.