New Delhi: Govt has launched a time-bound plan to fix issues plaguing Delhi’s water supply and sewer network as well as pollution in the Yamuna by acting on the findings of a CAG report recently tabled in the House, water minister Parvesh Verma said in the assembly on Friday.The report, which pertains to the period when AAP used to govern Delhi, flagged untreated sewage, high water losses and poor planning, which Verma attributed to evidence of “years of systemic lapses”.The report also pointed to over 1,000 colonies lacking proper sewer networks, several sewage treatment plants (STPs) failing to meet environmental norms and the absence of effective monitoring of faecal contamination.Non-revenue water losses were estimated at 45% to 53%, far above the global average of around 15%. “Nearly 30 lakh households still lack formal water connections, leading to illegal use and revenue losses,” Verma said, adding that while Delhi requires around 1,200 MGD of water, the current supply is about 1,000 MGD.As part of the reform plan, govt aims to eliminate the “septic tanker mafia” by introducing a Delhi Jal Board (DJB)-run system. A dedicated digital portal will allow residents to request septic tank cleaning at a nominal charge —likely between Rs 20 and Rs 100. The Jal Board will deploy 150 to 200 tankers and ensure that all septage is transported to STPs before being discharged into drains.Govt is also pushing a major expansion of its sewage infrastructure. Tenders worth Rs 550 crore have been floated to provide sewer connections benefiting nearly 30 lakh people. While sewer lines have been laid in 1,265 of Delhi’s 1,799 unauthorised colonies, most remain unconnected to STPs. The minister said govt aims to achieve 100% sewer connectivity in another two years.Work is underway in more than 400 colonies, and over 180 km of sewer lines have been laid in the past year, along with replacement of more than 110 km of ageing pipelines. Nearly 20 lakh households are still outside the sewer network, a gap the govt plans to bridge on priority.The city is constructing and upgrading 35 STPs, including a 35 MGD facility in Rohini. More than 20 to 25 tenders for new STPs are expected to be awarded soon. Govt plans to scale up its total sewage treatment capacity to 1,500 MGD.To improve water availability, govt is adding 36 MGD through new borewells, with 203 already tendered, while 60 new tubewells have added 10 MGD in the past year. A new policy will also allow households to install domestic borewells without prior NOC, subject to a nominal fee.In a push for sustainability, treated water from STPs will be reused for parks, horticulture and construction. Pipelines have been tendered to supply treated water to 74 large parks. A policy to mandate the use of treated water in construction activities is being finalised.The minister announced an e-KYC drive to update consumer data across DJB connections, aimed at improving billing efficiency and plugging leakages.
