Life is impossible without water. Though it is one of the most precious resources on the earth, it’s availability is limited. Hence it’s necessary that due management of the water resources is taken for the existence of life. However, Delhi despite having excess of water still continues to face water crisis till date, a condition which will only get worse in future.

In 1994, the BJP government signed the treaty with the Haryana government for the construction of Munak canal to save 80 MGD of water. But once Congress came into power, no action was taken to materialize the Munak canal construction owing topoor coordination among Delhi-Haryana-Centre and ill intentions of the Delhi govt. to help private companies. More than Rs. 478 Crores has been spent so far to build the Munak Canal but Delhi still has not been benefitted by this investment. In most of the Unauthorized and Resettlement Colonies (JJC) the average water supply per day is approximately 20-35 lpcd and most of them are being feed by hard water. The CAG further states that 24.8% of the households in Delhi is being supplied water through tankers in absence of pipelines and this failure of government has resulted in the rise of water mafias.

The increase in tariff rate between second and third slab i.e. Rs. 3.63 and Rs. 18.15 is 400% and the increase is 1150% between lowest and highest i.e. Rs. 2.42 and Rs. 30.25 slab. The general consumption of middle class family residing in group housing society falls between the third tariff i.e. Rs. 18.15 considering the family of 5 consuming 240 litres. While the increase between 1st slab and third slab is 400%, on other hand consumers falling under highest slab reported the increase of 66%. Further regardless of water usage, everyone has to pay the fixed amount of the service tax. Thus while the middle class consumer is hard pressed, the high end consumer who uses maximum water seems to have been rewarded.

The water expenditure of the family has increased by 13 times in last 15 years of Congress government rule. The current water tariff rate in Delhi is 9 times more than that of Mumbai. The DJB’s increased water tariff includes a provision for an automatic 10% increase in water bills every year w.e.f. January 1st 2010. However keeping elections in mind the government didn’t increase the tariffs by 10% but this rule has not been dismantled. This is the proof of the government’s intention to rob people.

As per CAG report 2013 there is massive wastage of water by DJB. At the Chandrawal treatment plant, valves and sluice gates have been seen leaking; DJB claims they are more than 57 years old and not replaced or repaired due to budget constraints. A revamp of Chandrawal plant is expected by 2015, but the CAG report says allowing leakages till then “does not appear prudent”. The government auditor found that the city government suffered a loss of Rs.3,950 crore in three years as less than 40 per cent of water supplied was billed. The CAG further noted that the production of usable water at water treatment plants (WTP) is below the designed capacity.

As per CAG report 2013 DJB’s leak detection, the water treatment plants in Delhi are under-efficient and working to the extent of only 40-50% of their designed capacity. As a result, the ground water is being exploited to fulfill the water deficit. This failure has led to mushrooming of illegal bore well mafias (especially in South & South-west Delhi), private bore wells and avoidable use of DJB’s official bore wells. Injudicious exploitation of the ground water to such an extent would jeopardize the future of Delhi.

The government claims that there is a leakage of 40% in Delhi but as per internal report of leakage detection and investigation department of DJB there is a leakage of only 0.129 MGD which is negligible. So there is a mismatch between what government claims and reality. In fact if there is a leakage of 40% i.e. 336 MGD then there will be flood in Delhi. It is highly suspected that manipulation has been done for creation of unnecessary work and benefitting the contractors and consultants at the cost of public money. Experts claim that all this is done to promote the privatization of DJB. Delhi High Court has accepted a PIL stating that there is corruption of Rs. 271 crores in the privatization of Bhagirathi plant. CBI has filled FIR for Rs. 1000 crore corruption in DJB’s sewer pipe line rehabilitation. DJB purchased the water meter at a cost of Rs. 2000 which were available at a cost of Rs. 650.