DJB proposes to improve water supply, sewer lines

Budget of ` 5,137cr has been cleared by it for this fiscal year

The Delhi Jal Board ( DJB) in its meeting, chaired by chief minister Arvind Kejriwal on Monday, approved 5,137 crore budget for the department for this fiscal year.

The meeting was attended by senior Board officials, who discussed the proposal in detail. During the meeting, the members resolved to supply water to the areas facing water shortages.

The Board has approved a budget to the tune of 2,350 crores under the plan and 2,787.63 crores under non- plan expenditures for the year 20182019, a statement from the DJB stated.

The DJB will invest 30.61 crore in Bawana to reduce water scarcity in the area. For renewing the sewers and their reconstruction in the south Delhi localities, including Saket, Pushp Vihar, Panchsheel Park area, Soami Nagar and Greater Kailash, the Board has allocated 64.80 crore.

The focus of the DJB will be to repair the sewers in all the areas of the national capital and improve the water supply, especially in localites where there is water shortage.

The localities where the water scarcity is extreme, the government has decided to increase the expenditure.

Where water scarcity is more, the government will order extra pipelines. The Board will also focus on the improvement of water supply and laying new pipelines to reinforce the water distribution system in the city.

“Consent to the work of rehabilitation of peripheral sewers in Uttam Nagar, Paschim Vihar, Saraswati Vihar, Moti Nagar and adjoining areas in WestNorth, West Delhi at an estimated cost of 102.23 crores was given by the Board.

Approval has also been given to the appointment of Indian Institute of Technology, Delhi as monitoring agency for the work of rehabilitation of peripheral sewer lines at an estimated cost of 4.71 crores as the consultancy fees,” the statement also added.

“Laying of the water distribution system in JIC Sawda Ghevra in Mundka constituency was accorded approval by the Board. The above project will benefit the whole population of the said segment,” it added.

After the National Green Tribunal’s ( NGT) order, nearly 700 borewells have been shut down in the city, leading to an acute water crisis in the national capital.

According to the Board, the city has more than 5,000 borewells on which the department will take action soon.