Delhi Water Minister Parvesh Verma on Monday unveiled the city’s Summer Action Plan, which also aims to give a major push to strengthening water supply, improving sewer management, and initiating steps to rejuvenate the Yamuna river.
The minister underscored that Delhi’s water challenges must be approached with both urgency and responsibility, emphasising that every official of the Jal Board must take responsibility to deliver clean water. “We must remember at every level that supplying clean water is not just a service, it reflects directly on our commitment to the people of Delhi, he added.”
Under the Summer Action Plan, the DJB plans to strengthen water production and supply, while the minister affirms that efforts will be made to maintain the peak water production of around 1002 MGD during the summer.
All major Water Treatment Plants (WTPs), including Chandrawal, Wazirabad, Haiderpur, Nangloi, Okhla, Dwarka, Bawana, and Sonia Vihar, are fully operational, while quality of water, including ammonia levels, will be monitored consistently to avoid disruptions.
He said discussions are underway with Haryana for an additional 51 cusecs of water to ensure there is no crisis during summer, even though work has begun on Wazirabad desilting to enhance pondage capacity up to 2-3 days.
Verma shared that work is ongoing to explore new water sources to step up the capacity and also to have long-term solutions, rather than temporary fixes. Old pumps, motors, and electromechanical systems will be upgraded to enhance efficiency, he said.
“Delhi has limited water resources, but it is our responsibility to ensure that every citizen receives an adequate supply,” the minister said.
In accordance with the summer plans, the water agency is ensuring improved distribution and leakage management with the annual flushing of reservoirs, which has been completed, and preventive maintenance of underground and surface reservoirs.
The minister also launched key digital initiatives of the water agency, including a Chatbot, an Advanced CRM system, and the DJB 1916 Mobile App to ensure transparency, accountability, and participation of residents in water governance.
The minister said that around 1,221 tankers will be deployed during peak summer (1,030 hired and 191 departmental), while 13,000 fixed supply points have been identified and 202 filling hydrants operationalised.
“The tanker system is not a permanent solution. Our focus is to make it transparent and accountable while strengthening pipeline infrastructure,” he said.
The minister further said that out of 1,799 unauthorised colonies, pipelines have been laid in 1,646, while the remaining ones are being covered in a phased manner.
A lot of work is being done to upgrade, restore, and expand the sewer network, the minister said, adding, “It is our responsibility to keep sewer lines clean and ensure that untreated waste does not enter the Yamuna.”
The minister said the new digital ecosystem aims to improve service delivery and engage citizens through an advanced CRM system for tracking complaints.
“Earlier, outdated systems slowed down our work. Today, we are introducing modern, transparent systems where citizens themselves can monitor services,” he added.