The Delhi Jal Board has given in-principle approval to a 10-year, ₹17,969.93 crore plan to overhaul sewer maintenance across the capital, alongside major decisions on water supply, sewage treatment, tariff rules and rainwater harvesting. The package is intended to shift civic services from complaint-based repairs to planned maintenance and real-time monitoring.
Under the proposed sewer maintenance system, Delhi will be divided into eight zones, with one operator responsible for the complete sewer network in each zone. The responsibility will include sewer lines, manholes, pumping stations and complaint resolution. Payments will be linked to performance, with the stated aim of speeding up responses and reducing sewer overflow incidents.
The Delhi Jal Board currently maintains 11,212 kilometres of sewer lines, 6.68 lakh manholes and 145 pumping stations across 68 Assembly constituencies. The new system will use geo-tagged inspections and a central command centre for real-time monitoring. The board has also approved a framework for 100% mechanical and robotic sewer cleaning.
Delhi’s Water Minister Parvesh Verma said the purpose of the change was to establish clear responsibility for each problem. He said residents should not have to determine which officer, division or contractor is responsible for a sewer, adding that the system should identify the issue, assign responsibility and monitor the work until completion.
The board has separately approved a ₹6,044.05 crore project to upgrade water-supply infrastructure in South Delhi. The project will cover 247 square kilometres, 13 underground reservoir command areas, 12 Assembly constituencies and 2,44,381 domestic consumers. Smart meters, bulk-flow meters, chlorine sensors and pressure sensors will be installed for real-time monitoring, accurate metering and water audits.
The project’s stated objectives include more reliable and continuous water supply, zero pollution and reducing non-revenue water to below 15%. Non-revenue water refers to water that enters the distribution system but is not billed, including losses caused by leakages, faulty measurement or unauthorised use.
Verma said the water-supply upgrade would not focus only on laying more pipelines. The board would also need to track where water was going, where losses occurred and whether pressure and quality remained within the required levels, he said. According to the report, technology would be used to improve monitoring and accountability.
The board has divided the areas outside the Chandrawal and Wazirabad water treatment plant command areas into six zones: South, South-West, West, North-West, East and North-East. Administrative approval has already been granted for the West and South-West zones. These areas are expected to receive ₹11,427 crore of investment for water-supply infrastructure upgrades, including 15 years of operations and maintenance. A consultant has been appointed for three of the remaining zones.
To strengthen sewage treatment and support the restoration of the Yamuna, the board has approved the invitation of tenders for 13 new sewage treatment plants with a combined capacity of 328 million gallons per day. The estimated cost is ₹7,373 crore, with funding planned under the National Mission for Clean Ganga. A separate 5.5 million gallons per day decentralised sewage treatment plant at Nayabans in Narela has already been awarded at an estimated cost of ₹123.23 crore.
The minister said untreated sewage needed to be stopped from entering drains in the first place and that increasing treatment capacity was an important part of that effort. The supplied report does not provide construction timelines or commissioning dates for the 13 proposed plants.
The board has also granted administrative approval for a ₹1,214.58 crore Wazirabad water-supply package. It includes an 80 million gallons per day water treatment plant, an automated raw-water intake system and 15 years of operations and maintenance. The existing 40 million gallons per day plant will be rehabilitated as part of the project.
In addition, a ₹3,505 crore Asian Development Bank loan has been approved for another 60 million gallons per day plant, transmission upgrades, a supervisory control and data acquisition system and improvements to the distribution network. The report does not specify when these works will be completed.
The board has approved the Delhi Water and Sewerage (Tariff and Metering) Regulations, 2026, which will replace the 2012 regulations. The new framework is intended to simplify applications for water and sewer connections, rationalise charges, clarify billing provisions and expand digital services. It also proposes rebates for households that adopt rainwater harvesting and wastewater recycling.
The board has approved ₹65.49 crore to rebuild 25 water emergency centres in Delhi. The centres are to receive modern, safer and digital facilities. Subject to technical feasibility and prescribed conditions, individual water connections may be approved for residential and non-domestic units irrespective of building height. Consumers will need to provide adequate water-storage arrangements below 17.5 metres or in accordance with the applicable standards.
The board has also begun steps to implement the Delhi Rainwater Harvesting Policy, 2026. The policy links groundwater recharge with flood management and is intended to make compliance mandatory in government buildings. The approvals and proposed tenders now leave implementation, contracting and monitoring as the next stages for the water and sewerage programme.
