NEW DELHI: The water budget for 2011-12 did not hold any surprises or the promise of new projects. Delhi Jal Board's primary focus will be on completion of old works and tendering of those projects that have already been announced. After a tariff hike in 2010, this year is the first time that DJB will not be seeking any subsidy from the government for its non-plan expenses. Last year, the board had been granted a subsidy of Rs 50 crore.
A total budget of Rs 1,716.28 crore has been set out for the water and sewerage sectors. While Rs 925.05 crore has been assigned for water management and distribution, Rs 791.23 crore has been set aside for sewerage. Japan International Cooperation Agency which is providing financial assistance to several DJB projects has assured the government that it will not pull out of any of them due to the earthquake and tsunami crisis.
The projects that will be implemented this year include public private partnership over water management in Malviya Nagar, Vasant Vihar and Nangloi water treatment plants. Work will also commence on the water and sewer master plans. Major works on sewers will also take off which includes work at Coronation Park, sewage treatment plants at Nilothi, Pappankalan, Okhla, Chilla and Dilli Gate. Several Yamuna Action Plan-III projects will also start taking shape.
In revenue management, the board intends covering more areas under a metered system to bring down non-revenue losses. SCADA system to monitor all aspects of water production will also be implemented at the Bhagirathi WTP. After a non-revenue water curbing programme at Govindpuri and Munirka in 2010, DJB will extend the programme to more areas in this fiscal. It also intends to introduce hand held bill generators this year while integrating its billing, payment and metering system.
Tracking water tankers will also become easier from this year. The proposal to install a GPS system in tankers has been worked out with DIMTS which will install the system at a cost of Rs 27 crore on all of DJB's tankers for their operation and maintenance for five years, revealed DJB CEO Ramesh Negi.
"The primary focus areas for 2011-12 will be extending water network to unauthorized colonies, starting of Bawana WTP, arresting water leakages, full domestic metering, augmentation of treatment capacity at Dwarka and Okhla, implementation of SCADA and improving consumer convenience," said DJB officials.
DJB is also in the process of extending sewerage to 46% unsewered areas in the city, including over 1,600 provisionally regularized colonies, 1,080 JJ clusters, 27 urban villages, 189 rural villages and 44 unauthorized regularized colonies.
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