Delhi Govt waives development fees, now pay Rs 2,310  for 200 sqm plot

Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal on Friday announced to waive the development and infrastructure charges for new water and sewer connections in the national Capital.

Kejriwal, who is also the chairman of the Delhi Jal Board (DJB), said people would have to pay just Rs 2,310 now to get new water and sewer connections. Earlier, a person having a plot of 200 square metres would have to pay nearly Rs 1.14 lakh to get new water and sewer connections.

It has been observed that despite having a water pipeline in a particular area, most residents did not get “formal connection” due to the high development and infrastructure charges, even as they were using supply water through “illegal” means, Kejriwal said.

“The board (DJB) today decided that it will not take development and infrastructure charges from Delhiites. Despite water pipelines laid in areas, lakh of households have not installed water or sewer connections because of high installation, infrastructural and development charges. Residents resort to illegal means for tapping water, but refrain from taking a formal water connection because of high charges,” he said.

The Government will invest in developing and fulfilling the infrastructural requirements like installing pipelines, water treatment plants, and pumping stations, etc, he said.

The 151st meeting of the DJP cleared many projects related to improving water and sewer networks and to clean the Yamuna River.

The CM said that the reduced charges will also reduce the quantity of unaccounted or non-revenue water across the city as people will start installing formal connections rather than connecting to the pipelines illegally.

“At the time of formation of our Government, only 58 per cent of areas of Delhi were covered with water pipelines and now the figure is around 93 per cent,” he added.

According to the DJB, until now, the rate of water development charge was Rs 440 per square meter and sewer development charge was Rs 494 per square metre.

On June 25, 2016 the Government had reduced development charges to Rs 100 per square metre plot for water and sewer each in the case of properties falling in D, E, F, G and H category of unauthorised colonies, being used for residential purposes, with a plot area up to 200 square metre plot. In a statement issued by DJB later, it stated it had abolished levy of development charges for water and sewer for all consumers.

However, infrastructure charges (IFC) on water and sewer will continue to be levied on Government developing agencies such as DDA, MCD, PWD, DSIIDC and the Government public undertakings. The Government said water pipelines were replaced in 1,047 square km-area since 2014.

In order to bring an overall improvement in the water and wastewater management system of the DJB, the board also accorded approval to some of the developmental projects in the meeting such as construction of an additional underground reservoir and booster pumping station at GT Road (Shahadra), providing and laying 110 km sewer line in Sonia Vihar and Rajiv Nagar and deployment of sewer cleaning machines for cleaning of sewer lines in the narrow streets, a senior DJB official added.