Soon Delhi Jal Board will have a new rotation system for a meter reading that will make the billing system stronger and more transparent. Under this the new system, meter readers will be changed every billing cycle, thus cutting any potential loopholes or discrepancies regarding the existing readers.

The Delhi Jal Board (DJB) has instituted new water consumption rules in the national capital under which no consumer can be charged more than 1.5 times the amount of the bill in the previous month.

According to DJB minister Satyendar Rai, an automatic system has been put in place to self-regulate the meter reader’s tablet when consumption variance goes 50 percent higher or lower compared to the previous month’s bill. Such a system will strengthen the revenue management system of the board, the minister said.

“Now your bill cannot be more than 1.5 times that of the previous month. If it exceeds this, an explanation will be provided to the customer, and he or she may file a complaint. The board will be accountable and responsible for any errors,” Satyendar Jain said in a statement on Thursday.

In cases where the current month’s bill varies 50 percent higher or lower than that of the month previous, the new water consumption bill will only be generated by the zonal revenue office once the meter reading image confirms the consumption.

“This step will curb the erroneous reading bills that were being generated,” the minister was quoted as saying in the statement.

Moreover, to keep a vigil on the water billing system, revenue officers will be conducting random meter reading image audits.

These “meter inspector” officials will make personal visits to the site and recheck the images of the meter readings to ensure that the readings are not improper or incorrect. In case it is found that certain incorrect images are being fed, the inspectors have been authorised to take strict against the concerned meter readers.

Presently, there are currently about 900-meter readers taking readings of about 26.50 lakh consumers in 41 zones in Delhi categorised by the DJB.

Of these, only about 18 lakh consumers avail zero bills under Delhi’s free water scheme.

As per Jain, the new rotation system for meter reading in Delhi will make the billing system “stronger and more transparent”. Under this new system, the meter readers will be changed every billing cycle, thus cutting any potential loopholes or discrepancies regarding the existing readers.

“This will lead to the smooth functioning of the system and will eradicate any type of corruption involved,” the minister said.