New Delhi
Anil Kumar Attri
The Delhi government is preparing a plan to resolve the long-standing issue of pending water bills. The Delhi Jal Board is working on a new policy, and its Revenue Department has already begun drafting its framework. Reports suggest that the proposed bill waiver scheme will mainly benefit residents of E, F, G, and H category colonies. Domestic consumers in other categories may also receive partial relief.
Government Plans to Waive Water Bills
According to sources in the Jal Board, there are disputes involving water bills for millions of consumers who haven’t paid their bills for a long time. As of July 2023, there were 1.1 million such consumers. By January 2024, this number rose to 1.4 million—an increase of 300,000 in just six months. Since January last year, the number of disputed bills has grown by another 422,000. The number of pending bills continues to rise, and the government has signaled its intention to resolve these issues.
Sources indicate that residents of E, F, G, and H category colonies may receive a 100% waiver of their outstanding bills. Meanwhile, domestic consumers in A, B, C, and D category colonies may get partial discounts on their dues. However, waivers for commercial and bulk water consumers are unlikely. The new policy might be presented in the next Jal Board meeting.
Currently, the total number of Jal Board consumers stands at 2,899,615, out of which over 1.8 million are benefiting from the scheme that provides 20,000 liters of free water per month.
