To boost water supply during the summer, Chief Minister Rekha Gupta on Sunday flagged off 1,111 tankers fitted with a location tracking in the city. The system will enable the tankers’ location to be tracked on an IT dashboard from the Delhi Jal Board (DJB) headquarters.
“This is a step towards complete transparency. This is not the final solution, we will work on a new town plan to provide water from the tap to every resident,” Gupta said during the ceremony marking 60 days of her government in Burari.
The Chief Minister said the objective of this initiative is to make the capital’s water supply system more transparent, efficient, and accountable, especially in areas that are not yet covered by piped water networks. With advanced GPS tracking, she affirmed that strict action would be taken against the tanker mafia, and all 1,111 tankers will now be monitored 24x7 from a Central Control Room. Using the DJB mobile app, citizens can track tankers, file complaints, and monitor the resolution process themselves. Calling it a transformational digital step, CM Gupta said that Delhi is advancing confidently on the path of becoming a truly “Digital India” and “Digital Delhi” under a new mindset and technological approach
Delhi Cabinet Ministers, Parvesh Verma, Manjinder Singh Sirsa, Kapil Mishra, BJP MPs Manoj Tiwari, Bansuri Swaraj, Kamaljeet Sehrawat, Yoginder Chandolia, and Praveen Khandelwal, accompanied by MLAs and senior officials from the Delhi Jal Board (DJB) were present during the ceremony.
The Chief Minister described this flag off as a historic and proud moment for the people of Delhi, reaffirming her government’s strong commitment to realising Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s vision of ‘Har Ghar Jal’.
“This is not just the launch of a tanker service, but the beginning of a new, transparent, and tech-enabled system of water distribution,” she said. The tankers are equipped with advanced GPS devices and will be monitored in real time from the Central Control Room in Jhandewalan, including data on tanker location, time of delivery, and quantity of water supplied. Furthermore, the DJB application has established a system wherein citizens may not only register grievances but also personally monitor the tracking and resolution processes. This arrangement will implement stringent control over the tanker mafia while simultaneously providing robust protection for citizens’ water entitlements
“When these GPS-enabled tankers arrive in your area, their movement and operations will be visible to the public. The common citizen will now be a watchdog in this new transparent system,” she said. She added that this is a new chapter of accountability and digital governance, and similar tech solutions will be implemented across all Delhi Government departments.
Criticising the previous Government, CM Gupta highlighted that previously merely two super sucker machines were operational in Delhi, whereas the current government has increased this number to fifty. “Currently, 50 super sucker machines are deployed throughout Delhi to expeditiously address sewer overflow incidents wherever they occur,” she said
The Chief Minister further stated that due to the apathy of the previous government, Delhi’s water supply had become disorganised, with the tanker mafia tightening its grip over the system. That situation, she asserted, shall no longer persist. The current Government had to commence operations under extremely challenging circumstances. It is unfortunate that despite being the capital of the country, several areas in Delhi still do not receive piped water. Even today, several localities have extremely narrow pipelines, and most water treatment plants are not functioning at full capacity.
The city government is also working on increasing the capacity of sewage treatment plants and water treatment plants.
Verma said, “This is a model of good governance and transparency. Some of these tankers are old but all these are fitted with GPS. People can track the location of the tankers on their mobile phones like we do on food delivery apps.”
“What the ‘AAP-da sarkar’ could not do in so many years, we did it in 10 weeks. Drains are being cleaned, tons of silt is being cleared. We are working on holidays, festivals, every day,” he added, referring to the previous AAP dispensation.
Reacting to this, AAP said that the AAP Government in Delhi had repeatedly raised concerns about the conduct of then-CEO of DJB, Anbarasu, stating that he was deliberately creating obstacles and that his actions warranted a thorough investigation. However, Anbarasu enjoyed close ties with the BJP and the LG, and even today, he continues to be shielded by the BJP.
“What Pravesh Verma is doing is nothing more than political theatre. The people of Delhi are watching closely and can clearly see through his daily antics,” it said.