A day after announcing a waiver on late fee payments for pending water bills, Delhi Water Minister Parvesh Verma on Saturday acknowledged the move would mean significant revenue losses for the government but said it would ease the burden on residents.
Calling the decision a “gift before Diwali,” Verma said the relief measure responded to long-standing demands for lower water bills and pledged his government’s commitment to clean, uninterrupted supply in the capital.
Speaking to news agencies about the government’s water bill relief scheme, the minister said one of the key measures is a reduction in interest on penalties — cut from 5 per cent to 2 per cent — which will ease the burden on residents.
On Friday, Verma announced the Delhi Jal Board’s (DJB) approval of a comprehensive scheme to waive Late Payment Surcharge (LPSC) on pending domestic and government water bills. Of the total outstanding dues of Rs 87,589 crore, Rs 80,463 crore—about 91 per cent—comprises LPSC, largely driven by the earlier high compounding interest rates.
The move aims to provide relief to Delhi households and strengthen the financial health of the DJB, with waivers of up to 100 per cent available until March 31, 2026. The waiver scheme will come into effect next month and remain operational until March 31, 2026.
Notably, the waiver applies only to surcharges, not to the principal amount.“This is the first and final scheme on LPSC waiver,” Verma stated.
The minister also stated that previously, DJB levied 5 per cent compounding interest per billing cycle, which meant a bill of Rs 100 could escalate to Rs 178. Under the new regime, with the rate reduced to 2 per cent, the same bill will rise only to Rs 130.