The Delhi Jal Board has approved an in-principle Rs 17,969.93-crore, 10-year programme to overhaul Delhi’s sewer network, with the city to be divided into eight zones under a “one zone, one operator” model intended to make one agency responsible for maintenance, complaints and sewer overflows in each zone.
The proposed system will cover sewer lines, manholes and pumping stations, while shifting the Delhi Jal Board’s approach from complaint-based repairs to preventive maintenance. The programme will use geo-tagged inspections, real-time monitoring and 100 per cent mechanical and robotic sewer cleaning, according to the details announced after the Board meeting.
Water Minister Parvesh Sahib Singh said the new model was intended to remove uncertainty for residents dealing with sewer problems. “For a Delhi resident, it should not matter which officer, division, or contractor is responsible for a sewer. If there is a problem, the system should know about it, someone should be responsible for fixing it, and the work should be tracked till it is completed. That is the change we want to bring,” he said.
The Delhi Jal Board currently maintains 11,212 km of sewer lines, 6.68 lakh manholes and 145 pumping stations across 68 Assembly constituencies. Under the proposed arrangement, payments to operators will be linked to performance, creating a contract-based mechanism for monitoring maintenance and response.
The Board also approved a Rs 6,044.05-crore project to transform South Delhi’s water network. The project will cover 247 sq km, 13 underground reservoir command areas and 2,44,381 domestic consumers. It will introduce smart meters, bulk flow meters and sensors to monitor chlorine levels and water pressure.
The South Delhi project aims to support continuous water supply and bring non-revenue water below 15 per cent. Non-revenue water refers to water that enters the distribution system but is lost through leakage, unauthorised use or measurement gaps. The new metering and monitoring systems are intended to help the Board identify where water is being lost and whether pressure and quality remain within the required range.
“We have to know where water is going, where it is being lost, and whether the pressure and quality are right. Technology will help us make the system more accountable and efficient,” Singh said.
Separately, the Board approved tenders for 13 sewage treatment plants with a combined capacity of 328 million gallons per day. The projects have an estimated cost of Rs 7,373 crore and are to be taken up with funding under the National Mission for Clean Ganga.
A Rs 1,214.58-crore project at Wazirabad also received administrative approval. It includes an 80 million-gallon-per-day sewage treatment plant and the rehabilitation of an existing 40 million-gallon-per-day plant.
The Board further approved new tariff and metering regulations and cleared individual water connections irrespective of building height, subject to technical feasibility and prescribed conditions. The sewer overhaul, water network modernisation, treatment plant tenders and regulatory changes together represent a broad expansion of the Delhi Jal Board’s planned infrastructure programme, although the sewer initiative remains an in-principle approval and the treatment plant works are at the tender stage.