New Delhi, March 14 The Delhi government is preparing a comprehensive Water Master Plan, with provisions to involve private players, to alleviate the city's water woes, Water Minister Parvesh Sahib Singh said on Saturday.
Under the plan, a study of the existing infrastructure and future expansion will be undertaken, taking into account the city's increasing population.
"There is a need for a holistic approach to address the water sector challenges we face, so for the first time, a Water Master Plan will be presented. To achieve this, we have hired a consulting company that is studying all major aspects, including water sources, future requirements, pipeline maintenance, and other related matters," Singh said.
Another aspect of the plan would be the decentralization and privatization of the Delhi Jal Board (DJB) distribution network.
"Within the next year, we will issue tenders to invite major private players to manage each of the DJB's eight existing Command Centres. In the future, these companies will be responsible for managing all major operations in those areas," the minister said, according to a statement.
Under the plan, each company will be tasked with repairing and replacing old water pipes, billing and revenue collection, and ensuring regular water supply.
According to an official, "The DJB has already started working on the Chandrawal WTP command centre, under which improvements to the water supply infrastructure, including the replacement of old lines, providing house service connections, and upgrading Underground Reservoirs (UGRs), have already been awarded and are in progress."
Tenders will soon be issued for the East, North-East, West, and South-West zones, for which detailed project reports are being prepared, the person said.
Delhi is a largely urbanized city with a large and growing population, which requires a reliable water supply and sewage treatment system.
In 2016, the Delhi government launched the Delhi Water Policy with a vision for the next nine years.
"Besides increasing water supply, we are also studying ways to reduce losses during transmission. We are also reviewing previous DJB reports and studies to prepare a comprehensive master plan for the future. These insights will be used to develop a long-term plan," Singh said.
Currently, the city's average water production ranges between 900 and 10 million gallons per day (MGD), against an average requirement of around 1,200 MGD.