Water Minister Parvesh Verma on Wednesday said the Delhi government has approved the “One Zone, One Operator” project worth Rs 17,969 crore, aiming to improve sewerage infrastructure in the city.
At a Delhi Jal Board (DJB) meeting, the government approved the Delhi Water and Sewer (Tariff and Metering) Regulations 2026, which replace the outdated 2012 rules, he said.
“Under the new regulations, the government plans to implement fair billing rules for non-functional, locked or inaccessible water meters. The DJB also plans to simplify the process to get new water and sewer connections,” Verma said.
The Board also approved a Rs 6,044.05 crore project for comprehensive transformation of South Delhi’s water supply infrastructure, under which smart meters with chlorine sensors will be installed.
Under the “One Zone, One Operator” project, the city will be divided into six zones, each with a single operator responsible end-to-end for sewer lines, manholes, pumping stations and complaints, he added.
“For a Delhi resident, it should not matter which officer, division, or contractor is responsible for a sewer. If there is a problem, the system should know about it; someone should be responsible for fixing it, and the work should be tracked until its completion. That is the change we want to bring,” the minister said.
“The system will move from reactive, complaint-based repairs to planned preventive maintenance, with geo-tagged inspections and real-time monitoring through a central command centre. It also provides for 100 per cent mechanical and robotic sewer cleaning,” an official said.
The DJB currently maintains 11,212 kilometres of sewer lines, 6.68 lakh manholes, and 145 pumping stations across 68 assembly constituencies.
“The new model will also link payments to the operator’s performance, with the objective of faster complaint resolution and fewer sewer overflows,” Verma added.
The South Delhi project will cover 247 square kilometres spread across 12 assembly constituencies and 2,44,381 domestic consumers.
“Smart meters, bulk flow meters, and chlorine and pressure sensors will be introduced for real-time monitoring, accurate metering, and water auditing. The project targets reliable continuous water supply, zero contamination, and reduction of non-revenue water below 15 per cent,” Verma added.
The project is proposed to be funded through the Urban Challenge Fund of the Government of India (25 per cent), the Delhi government (25 per cent) and through loans (50 per cent).
Non-revenue water is water supplied by the DJB but generates no revenue, either due to loss or theft during transmission, officials said.
The DJB also approved a Rainwater Harvesting (RWH) Policy 2026, which will be more aligned with the recently approved Master Plan of Delhi 2047.
“Buildings will be categorised by area and by how easily water can be absorbed in that part of the city, so requirements are practical rather than one-size-fits-all. All government buildings will be brought under mandatory RWH compliance, backed by clear institutional responsibility and a defined roadmap. The policy connects rainwater harvesting with drainage and flood management, tackling water-logging and groundwater recharge together,” officials said.
DJB has also approved a proposal under which individual water connections will be sanctioned to domestic and non-domestic units where technically feasible and prescribed conditions are met, irrespective of the building height.
To reduce untreated sewage entering the Yamuna River, the DJB is also constructing 13 new sewage treatment plants funded by the National Mission for Clean Ganga project with an outlay of Rs 7,373 crore.
-PTI
