DJB clears critical projects to boost public utility infrastructure

In a landmark initiative to enhance water and sewerage services across the Capital, the Delhi Jal Board (DJB), in its latest board meeting chaired by Minister Parvesh Verma, approved several critical projects aimed at improving public utility infrastructure.

According to Verma, these projects will directly benefit lakhs of residents, ensure equitable water supply, reduce pollution in River Yamuna, and accelerate long-pending rehabilitation works.

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The meeting underscored the government’s renewed focus on fast-tracking critical projects which were stalled due to bureaucratic delays and procedural hurdles earlier.

The minister said, “Providing clean drinking water and an efficient sewerage system is not just about pipelines and drains – it’s about restoring the rights, dignity, and well-being of our people. We are reviving long-pending projects and taking bold decisions to improve the quality of life for every citizen,” he added.

In a significant policy reversal, the DJB has been empowered to handle water/sewerage schemes for DDA and Land Development Agencies, by directly processing and implementing the works.

Until 2019, such schemes were cleared at the level of the chief engineer (Planning), enabling quicker execution, but a decision by the previous AAP government mandated that all proposals must be cleared by the complete Board, which created unnecessary bureaucratic bottlenecks.

This not only stalled infrastructure development but also caused hardship for the public and loss of revenue for DJB, Verma said.

According to officials, notable delayed projects include water supply for the in-situ rehabilitation project for slum dwellers at Katputli Colony near Shadipur Depot, water supply for LIG & EWS housing projects by DDA in Pocket-11, Sectors G7/ G8, in North West Delhi’s Narela.

With this latest board approval, the DJB is now authorized to directly manage and carry forward all such projects, ensuring timely implementation, improved service delivery, and enhanced revenue generation.

In the meeting, the board has approved the re-initiation of the Delhi Water Supply Improvement Project in the command area of Wazirabad Water Treatment Plant (WTP) under Asian Development Bank (ADB) funding, and this aims to benefit over 30.16 lakh people—approximately 13 per cent city’s total population.

Originally sanctioned in 2013, the ADB-backed project was not awarded until July 2020, which led to withdrawal of funding, however, after strong intervention by minister Verma, the financial institution has agreed to fund it again.

The board also approved the award of work for providing a comprehensive sewerage network in Sonia Vihar Group of Colonies and the Hasanpur Group of Colonies.

The work on these sewerage networks will give relief to nearly 2.8 lakh residents in total, covering unauthorised colonies and several villages that had been neglected for long.

It will take around 12 to 15 months for completion of the project, the department said.

The DJB has also started recruiting young engineers through GATE (Graduate Aptitude Test in Engineering) — ensuring a transparent and merit-based selection process, while retired officers from reputed Public Sector Undertakings (PSUs) are also being engaged as consultants to leverage their vast experience in project execution and public infrastructure.

However, these consultants will function strictly in an advisory capacity and will not hold any financial powers, in line with DJB’s commitment to accountability and transparent governance.

“We are bringing efficiency and urgency into public works that were once stuck in files and red tape. This is the beginning of a cleaner, healthier, and more responsive water governance system in Delhi,” Verma added.