NEW DELHI: The Delhi Jal Board (DJB) has taken a series of steps to change the way the city’s water and sewerage services are managed, with a clear focus on accountability, preventive maintenance and better service for citizens.
The biggest among all decisions is the in-principle approval of a Rs 17,969.93 crore, 10-year programme to overhaul sewer maintenance across Delhi through a new ‘One Zone, One Operator’ model.
Delhi will be divided into eight zones, with one operator responsible for the entire sewer network in each zone, including sewer lines, manholes, pumping stations, and complaints.
The system will move from reactive, complaint-based repairs to planned preventive maintenance, with geo-tagged inspections and real-time monitoring through a central command centre. It also provides for 100% mechanical and robotic sewer cleaning.
The DJB maintains 11,212 km of sewer lines, 6.68 lakh manholes, and 145 pumping stations across 68 Assembly constituencies. The new model will also link payments to performance, with the objective of faster complaint resolution and fewer sewer overflows. The board has also approved a Rs 6,044.05 crore project for transformation of South Delhi’s water supply infrastructure.
The project will cover 247 sq km, 13 UGR (underground reservoir) command areas, 12 Assembly constituencies, and 2,44,381 domestic consumers.
The project targets continuous water supply, zero contamination and reduction of non-revenue water below 15%.
Division into 8 zones
Delhi will be divided into eight zones, with one operator responsible for the entire sewer network in each zone
The system will move from reactive, complaint-based repairs to planned preventive maintenance, with geo-tagged inspections & real-time monitoring
Delhi Water Minister Parvesh Sahib Singh said the reform is ultimately about fixing responsibility
The new model will also link payments to performance
