Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal said on Saturday that Delhi’s Jal Board (DJB), the city’s unified water utility, has started the process of appointing a consultant who will provide recommendations on the supply of water. 24×7 water to all homes.
In a digital press conference, Kejriwal said that Delhi consumes 930 million gallons (MGD) of water every day, which translates into a consumption of 176 liters per person per day.
“This is not much, but not less. Currently, there is no responsibility for this 930 MGD water in the city. Much of it is stolen or wasted through leaks. We are appointing a consultant who would recommend steps to us to not only ensure that not a single liter of water is wasted, but also to suggest the latest technology available worldwide to implement a high-tech, automated and real-time system . water management system, ”he said.
Kejriwal also addressed concerns raised by the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), which claimed that the Delhi government’s decision is a step towards the privatization of DJB. The DJB is a state organization in Delhi.
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He also said the Delhi government is in talks with “water-rich” states like Uttar Pradesh, Himachal Pradesh, Haryana and Uttarakhand to explore the possibility of water-sharing pacts.
This comes after DJB announced on Thursday the approval of a ‘Unique Operator Zone One’ policy for the efficient management of the water supply and sewerage network. Under this policy, the city will be divided into 7-8 zones and a private operator will be designated to investigate the works in each zone.
The decision was made at a board meeting chaired by Delhi’s water minister and DJB chairman Satyendar Jain.
“After extensive discussions and deliberations at various levels to improve services and carry out efficient management of the aqueduct and sewerage system, it was decided to award contracts to private operators for the operation, maintenance and management of the aqueduct and sewerage networks in various zones. from Delhi on the ‘One Zone-One Operator’ line, “said a statement released by DJB on Thursday.
“Operators will be appointed for a 10-year period under the scheme on a contractual basis,” he said.
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Ankit Srivastava, DJB’s technical advisor, explained that the services are not being privatized and there will be no layoffs within the utility. The senior officials said monitoring and oversight powers will rest with the DJB.
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