New Delhi: Over 30 lakh households, or over 40% of Delhi Jal Board’s 73 lakh consumer base, have been using its piped water supply but not receiving bills, prompting Delhi govt to launch a six-month e-KYC drive to regularise these connections.Water minister Parvesh Verma on Wednesday said three agencies have been engaged to identify such consumers, undertake meter readings and distribute bills. The e-KYC exercise will cover the entire city in the next six months, he said. The agencies will employ around 700 contractual personnel for this purpose.DJB will also introduce an internship programme under which 40 youngsters will be engaged every year at a monthly stipend of Rs 10,000.Meanwhile, DJB has approved the installation of 250 water ATMs for Rs 58 crore — they will first be set up at govt schools before being expanded to other locations — 15 decentralised sewage treatment plants (DSTPs) worth nearly Rs 2,000 crore, in-situ treatment of Najafgarh and Delhi Gate drains, and restoration of the Wazirabad pondage as part of a larger push to improve the capital’s long-term water storage capacity and clean Yamuna.The 15 plants will have a combined treatment capacity of 103.5 million gallons per day (MGD). The project, which entails 15 years of operation and maintenance by the executing agencies, is expected to benefit around 20 lakh people. DJB has also approved the setting up of sludge management systems for 10 sewage treatment plants to improve disposal of sewage waste.In addition, sewer lines will be laid in 244 unauthorised colonies and 57 villages, thus extending sewer connectivity to nearly 33 lakh residents. The project is targeted for completion within 18 months, officials said.As part of its Yamuna rejuvenation plan, DJB has cleared projects worth nearly Rs 4,500 crore. They include expanding the city’s sewer infrastructure, upgrading the existing treatment plants and in-situ treatment of major drains, particularly Najafgarh drain, one of the largest contributors to riverine pollution. Payments to contractors for treatment of the drains will be linked to performance, with flow meters to be installed at both inlet and outlet points to measure the volume of water treated.
