Delhi targets water woes with Rs 9,000 crore push
In a city where water often arrives with uncertainty: too little, too late, or not at all, the Delhi Government has placed a big bet on fixing the system that delivers it. A Rs 9,000 crore allocation in the 2026-27 Budget signals an aggressive push to repair, expand, and modernise the capital’s water network.
Presenting the Budget in the Assembly, Chief Minister Rekha Gupta said the focus is on strengthening supply lines, cutting leakages, and upgrading treatment capacity. The aim is simple but ambitious: ensure reliable and equitable access to potable water across Delhi.
A key part of the plan involves expanding the physical network. The Government will lay 12.7 km of new transmission lines and 172 km of distribution pipelines. These additions are expected to improve reach and efficiency in several parts of the city.
Water supply is also set to increase. The government plans to add 10 million gallons per day (MGD) in the immediate phase, with a larger target of 36 MGD in the pipeline. But the sharper challenge lies in reducing losses. Nearly 45 per cent of Delhi’s water currently goes unaccounted for as “non-revenue water”. The Government now aims to bring this down to 15 per cent. This will involve fixing leakages, improving monitoring, and tightening distribution systems.
The Chief Minister said the broader goal is to ensure that every household in Delhi has access to tap water. One of the flagship projects in this effort is the expansion of the Chandrawal Water Treatment Plant.
