The Delhi government is offering significant relief to its citizens concerning water bill payments. The announcement aims to alleviate the burden of substantial outstanding bills for Delhi residents. According to Delhi’s Water Minister, Pravesh Verma, many consumers have been dealing with inflated water bills, partly due to late payment surcharges (LPSC). In response, the government has decided to eliminate these additional charges. Pravesh Verma highlighted that previously, Delhi residents were subject to a 5% interest rate and late fees on their water bills. Now, the government has decided to provide relief by reducing the late payment surcharge from 5% to 2%.
This decision will bring substantial relief to the people of Delhi. The total outstanding amount from Delhi residents is approximately 87,589 crore rupees, which includes around 80,463 thousand crore in late surcharges. The Water Minister, Pravesh Singh, also emphasized that this is the first and last LPSC waiver scheme during the current government’s term.
According to the Minister, the high bills were largely due to the 5% monthly compounding interest, rather than actual water consumption. This has been eliminated by reducing the interest rate to 2% and waiving up to 100% of the surcharge. He provided an example stating that a 100 rupee bill, which increased to 178 rupees due to the 5% compounding interest, will now only reach 130 rupees with the new 2% interest.
The Delhi government will set up camps in DJB colonies to help residents understand their outstanding bills and the benefits of this scheme. These camps will provide information about the amount owed, the waived amount, and the application process. The scheme will be in effect until March 31, 2026, with no benefits available after this date. The Delhi Jal Board (DJB) has also made the decision to legalize illegal water connections.
The fees for domestic connections have been reduced from ₹26,000 to ₹1,000. Non-domestic connections’ fees have been reduced from ₹61,000 to ₹5,000. The scheme’s implementation will continue until March 31, 2026. The government has explicitly stated that this will give relief to the people of Delhi and aid in the recovery of long-pending bills.