Delhi’s water network may get major push with help of Rs 2,500-cr bank loan

The CM said “around 43.96 sq km, nine UGR (underground reservoir) command areas and eight Assembly constituencies would be brought under a modern water distribution system”. Large residential areas, including Mukherjee Nagar, Model Town, Jahangirpuri, Azadpur, Keshavpuram, Pitampura, Shalimar Bagh, Tri Nagar, Paschim Vihar, Rani Bagh, Wazirpur and Ashok Vihar, would benefit from the project.

Around 836 km of water distribution network would be developed that would include nearly 570 km of new or replacement pipelines, Gupta said.

Talking about non-revenue water (NRW), the CM said the 131 DMAs would make it easier “to identify and control problems such as leakages and illegal connections”.

She said the government has set a target of bringing NRW down to 15 per cent through network rehabilitation, accurate metering, DMA-based monitoring and systematic leakage reduction.

“Around 2.15 lakh household service connections would come under the project, with 100 per cent metering of consumer connections. This would promote transparency and scientific accounting in water supply,” Gupta said.

Investment of Rs 11,427 cr in 2 zones

Besides, she said the government is planning an investment of Rs 11,427 crore in two zones covering West Delhi and Southwest Delhi that will benefit around 36.4 lakh people by improving water supply and strengthening nearly 3,830 km of water network. Under the proposal, 25 per cent of the funding would come from the Government of India, 25 per cent from the Delhi government and the remaining 50 per cent is proposed to be raised through loans, public-private partnership models.

New underground reservoir

The CM also said that a new underground reservoir with a capacity of 18 MLD would be developed in Harsh Vihar in Shakur Basti. In the Okhla Assembly constituency, UGRs with capacities of 2.2 MGD and 3.7 MGD, along with booster pumping stations, would be developed in Batla House and Abul Fazal Enclave.

“These projects are expected to benefit around two lakh residents,” she said, adding that work on setting up 28 new decentralised sewage treatment plants (STPs) has also begun.

Sewer network, STPs

“Work orders worth around Rs 1,090 crore had also been issued to upgrade existing STPs. In addition, sewer network work has been completed in 114 unauthorised colonies at a cost of around Rs 2,012 crore, and 1,28,633 households in these areas have been provided household sewer connections,” she said.

Sewer network work is currently underway in 276 colonies, while household sewer connections are being provided to around 5,44,680 households in 647 unauthorised colonies.

“In areas that had lacked sewer networks for decades, problems such as waterlogging and dirty water can only be permanently addressed by creating strong infrastructure. The government is working towards this goal in a phased manner,” Gupta added.