Keeping the poll promise, the Aam Aadmi Party-led Delhi Government on Monday announced to provide 20,000 litres of water every month free of cost to every household having metered connection from January 1. However, the Government’s decision has come with a condition. People consuming more than 20 kilolitres of water in a month will be required to pay the full bill amount as per the water tariff, which has been increased by 10 per cent.
last month, Delhi Jal Board (DJB) had planned to increase the water tariff by 10 per cent from January. The Government’s decision will put an extra burden of Rs 41 crore on DJB. Sources said that DJB may get a surplus allocation of Rs 233 crore in the current financial year. In another relief to consumers, the Government prohibited the DJB from levying the existing water cess and sewerage charges. The announcement has been made for three months on experimental basis. The decision would give relief to 8.5 lakh water consumers in Delhi. Kejriwal may announce relief in power tariff on Tuesday.
The decision to provide free water was taken at a DJB meeting chaired by Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal at his residence in Ghaziabad on Monday. After the meeting, newly appointed DJB chief executive officer Vijay Kumar announced the Government decision. “We will not even levy any existing charges such as water cess and sewerage charge on those consuming water less than 20,000 litres,” he said.
Kumar was appointed CEO of DJB on Saturday evening in place of Debashree Mukherjee, who is understood to have some reservations about supplying water free of cost. In its election manifesto, the AAP had promised to provide 700 litres free water daily to each household. It is not immediately clear whether the Government will charge for water being supplied to over 1,600 unauthorised colonies as water meters are yet to be installed in these settlements .
Kejriwal, earlier in the day, had tweeted about his illness and expressed regret about not being able to attend office. “Running 102 fever since yesterday (Sunday),” he tweeted. “It was so important to attend office today. We had planned the water announcement.”