Will cut all non-metered water connections: DJB
The order said once a functional meter is installed, consumers are required to upload particulars of the instrument on DJB portal or intimate zonal revenue officers in writing for the system to be updated
The Delhi Jal Board (DJB), which is currently in the midst of an acute financial crunch, has issued a public notice warning consumers with water connections that are not metered that they will be disconnected from the water utility’s pipeline network if they do not install functional water meters.
The order dated August 24 said that once a functional meter is installed at the consumer’s own cost, they are required to upload particulars of the instrument on the DJB portal or intimate the zonal revenue officers in writing for the system to be updated. It did not give a date by which the meter must be installed.
“Replacement of non-functional water meters other than new water connections — the meters falling in existing unmetered, non-functional, defective, stolen categories — will be done by the consumers immediately at their own cost so as to avoid disconnection of water supply in accordance with the regulation number 40 of the Delhi water and sewer (tariff and metering) regulations, 2012,” the DJB notice said.
According to Delhi’s economic survey, which was presented in March this year, the Capital has around 2.82 million activewater connections, of which approximately 115,000 are not metered.
People with unmetered connections end up paying a base fee for consumption, without any variance.
“As per existing provisions, if no functional water meter was ever installed, a bill is raised taking minimum consumption of water as 25 kilolitres per month per dwelling unit or as assessed by ZRO, whichever is higher, till a meter is installed,” a senior DJB official explained.
DJB issues water bills to registered consumers on a bi-monthly basis, and to bulk consumers on a monthly basis through a computerised revenue management system. Water tariffs and sewer tariffs have not been increased since 2018, which is also affecting the financial health of the water utility, the official quoted above said.
Earlier, these tariffs used to be revised every year by way of enhancement of 10% per annum, he said.
According to a report submitted by chief secretary Naresh Kumar to Delhi water minister Atishi on July 29, while DJB’s average water production has gone up from 930 million gallons a day (mgd) to 995 mgd over the last two years, the amount of non-revenue water produced has also increased, which means that at present, only around 421.64 mgd water is currently billed by DJB.
The report also stated that loans taken by DJB as well as the interest accrued have “surpassed ₹73,000 crore”, and the water utility has repeatedly informed the Delhi government that it is not in a position to repay its debts.
It adds that DJB is losing out on a potential revenue to the tune of about ₹1,200 crore per annum due to non-enhancement of tariffs against domestic bills.
DJB also suffers due to a large number of illegal connections, and those with defective meters, but the water utility does not have a fix on their figures.
A second DJB official said that the water utility has also initiated the installation of flow meters in order to audit the supply.
“DJB is installing about 3,800 bulk flow meters in the primary and secondary system to track the water being supplied to particular areas so that leakages and thefts can be quantified in each colony,” the official said.
The second official added that there are 42 DJB zonal offices, and each ZRO has been asked to take action against at least 20 such connections every day so that all unmetered connections in their respective areas can be covered by the end of this year. The overall drive is expected to take around 135 days.