Water distribution to be privatised?

Delhi government on Wednesday set up a high-powered committee to formulate a roadmap for bringing efficiency in the sector

Water distribution to be privatised?

Delhi government on Wednesday set up a high-powered committee to formulate a roadmap for bringing efficiency in the sector

Setting the ball rolling in involving private entities in water sector, Delhi Government on Wednesday set up a high-powered committee to formulate a roadmap and bring reform in management and distribution of water in the city, besides restructuring the Delhi Jal Board.

Wet run: People getting water from a DJB tanker.

The setting of the committee came a week after the Planning Commission told the city Government to initiate long-term reform measures to bring efficiency in the water sector considering Delhi's increasing requirement of the precious natural resource. The committee, to be headed by Chief Secretary P K Tripathi, will have to file its report within a month following which it will be taken up by the Cabinet. The decision was taken at a meeting presided over by Chief Minister Sheila Dikshit, who is also chairperson of Delhi Jal Board (B), and attended by top brass of the Government.

"The committee will suggest roadmap for bringing efficiency in the water sector," said a top official who attended the meeting. The official said government is likely to hand over management and distribution of water to private entities besides responsibilities like billing and revenue collection. At a meeting with Dikshit last week, Planning Commission Deputy Chairperson Montek Singh Ahluwalia had told her to initiate long-term planning in conservation, treatment and efficeint distribution of water, considering the city's ever increasing population.

Later Dikshit had said that the city government would put maximum priority on water sector in the 12th Five Year Plan. The Commission had also suggested working out a 10-year plan to improve water treatment and distribution as well as seweage treatment facilitities in the city. "We are only considering handing over of management as well as distribution of water.

We will never hand over our assets to anyone. These things are in very priliminary stage," said the official.
Earlier this year, highlighting efficiency in the power sector following involvement of private sector, Dikshit said government was determined to bring similar reform in the water sector. A B official said the water entity has chosen three areas -- Malvya Nagar, Vasant Vihar and Nangloi -- to launch pilot projects under which private sector would be handed over responsibility of management and distribution of water in these three localities.

"The pilot projects are being launched at Vasant Vihar, Malvya Nagar and Nangloi. The private entities will not be allowed to hike water tariff and remove a single employee of the B. Howver, they will have to ensure water supply in the areas round the clock," said the official.u00a0 The project to be launched in Malvya Nagar will cover 35,000 water connections while in Vasant Vihar the project will be limited to 6,800 connections. The pilot project in Nangloi will cover nearly 1,00,000 connections.

Glass half empty?
Last year, the government had initiated reform in water billing and installation of meter and had involved IT major Tata Consultancy Services in these two key areas. Delhi relies heavily on neighbouring states like Haryana and Uttar Pradesh for supply of raw water. The average demand of potable water in the city is around 1,100 mgd (million gallon per day) and currently B supplies around 800 mgd water across the city after treating the raw water in its treatment plants.