The Delhi government will waive inflated domestic water bills, offering 80-90 per cent relief to consumers. Over 16 lakh people affected by incorrect billing will benefit from the one-time settlement scheme.The government also plans to install smart water metres in order to generate correct water bills of consumers in the UT.
The Delhi government, led by Chief Minister Rekha Gupta, is preparing to waive domestic water bills in the coming days. Delhi's Deputy Chief Minister and Water Minister Parvesh Verma confirmed the development to India Today sister channel Aaj Tak, saying, "The government is soon going to waive the late payment surcharge on domestic water bills, offering nearly 80 per cent to 90 per cent relief to consumers."
The move is expected to benefit lakhs of people who have been facing issues due to incorrect billing by the Delhi Jal Board (DJB).
The Delhi Jal Board currently serves around 27 lakh customers. Out of these, nearly 16 lakh consumers have reportedly received inflated bills, many of which date back to the Covid period when Delhi Jal Board failed to conduct proper meter readings. As a result, complaints surged.
In October and November 2022 alone, the government received nearly 10,000 complaints related to faulty water bills. The Then Aam Aadmi Party also promised to bring a one-time settlement scheme to resolve the issue.A senior official from the Delhi Jal Board said that the scheme would allow each consumer only one opportunity to settle their bills. "If they miss this chance, there won't be another.
Most bills are inflated due to pending arrears and late fees. Once settled, the bills will appear significantly reduced," the official added.
However, as a corrective measure, the government now plans to overhaul the city's water distribution and billing systems by implementing smart meters across the city to address financial inefficiencies and improve Delhi Jal Board's (DJB) operations.
Officials said that the smart meter implementation will address persistent billing inaccuracies. The current practice of meter readers submitting outdated or incorrect images has resulted in inaccurate billing, which eventually has led to a compilation of underpaid bills.
An official said that around 1,000 meter readers manage nearly 26.5 lakh water consumers across 41 DJB zones, which has proven to be ineffective.
Officials said that water minister Parvesh Verma has asked DJB to overhaul the system as soon as possible, after which it was communicated to him that the company that looks after the billing of DJB had said that it would not look after govt projects anymore.
The official said that the minister wants to engage a new company after the system was upgraded. The billing system currently does not show a breakup of the old bills, which too has to be included, he said.
Follow us
