The Delhi government is providing considerable relief to residents regarding outstanding water bills, which aims at easing the financial burden on Delhi’s population. According to the Water Minister, Pravesh Verma, many Delhi residents have been struggling with high water bills, which often included late payment surcharges (LPSC). The government is now taking measures to alleviate this by waiving these additional charges. Verma explained that previously, a 5% interest and late fees were levied on water bills in Delhi, but the government has chosen to provide relief by reducing the late payment surcharge from 5% to 2%.
This move will offer considerable relief to Delhi residents, who currently have a substantial amount of outstanding dues, approximately 87,589 crore rupees, with around 80,463 thousand crore in late surcharges. The Water Minister made it clear that this is a one-time LPSC waiver scheme under the current government’s tenure.
The Minister explained that the high bills were inflated due to a 5% monthly compounding interest rate, rather than actual water usage. This has been addressed by lowering the interest rate to 2% and waiving up to 100% of the surcharge. He noted that a 100 rupee bill that previously increased to 178 rupees due to the 5% compounding interest will now only reach 130 rupees.
To ensure that the public is informed and can avail of the scheme, the Delhi government will organize camps within DJB colonies. These camps will offer details about the outstanding bills, the waived amounts, and the application process. The scheme will remain valid until March 31, 2026, after which the benefits will no longer be available. The Delhi Jal Board (DJB) has also made a decision to legalize unauthorized water connections.
The fees for domestic connections have been reduced from roughly ₹26,000 to ₹1,000. The fees for non-domestic connections have been reduced from around ₹61,000 to ₹5,000. The scheme will be in effect until March 31, 2026. The government has explicitly stated that this decision is meant to relieve the people of Delhi and streamline the recovery of pending bills.