Can Delhi Jal Board increase its revenue by renovating decades-old water pipes? Here’s what the expert says | Today’s news
The problem of water scarcity and supply is coming to the fore and becoming a central topic of discussion on the occasion of World Environment Day. The latest economic survey suggests that current non-revenue water due to leaks, theft and unmetered use is 46%. Indian Plumbing Association National President Gurmit Singh Arora shared his insights on how the Delhi Jal Board’s revenue can be increased if the city’s decades-old plumbing infrastructure is repaired.
With a budget allocation of ₹9000 crore in the water supply and sanitation sector, the government aims to overhaul the water supply system and reduce revenue loss to 15% gradually. Gurmit Singh Arora suggested that DJB’s revenue can be increased by 30% if the government focuses on rehabilitating old and leaky pipelines.
“If the Delhi Jal Board upgrades its plumbing infrastructure, it can achieve an increase in revenue of around 30% by reducing losses rather than producing more water. Currently, the Delhi Jal Board loses around 50-55% of its water before it reaches households, largely due to aging pipes, with over 5,000 km of the network more than 30 years old,” said the president of the Plumbers Association of India.
A significant amount of treated and pumped water is lost as nearly 50% of Delhi’s drinking water pipelines, spread over an area of about 7,900 km, are 20 to 30 years old. The main cause of loss is corrosion, joint damage and pressure cracks.
“The solution is straightforward but requires sustained implementation. Systematic replacement of old pipes with durable materials, introduction of remote sensing areas to monitor losses,” added Gurmit Singh Arora. According to the official, the Delhi Jal Board can significantly increase the profit from the same water supply without investing in new dams or treatment plants because every liter lost is a waste of energy, chemicals and operational effort.
What are the costs of renovating a decades-old water pipe?
Elaborating on how solving this problem will not only improve revenue but also reduce operational costs, he said, “It will increase the reliability of supply and enable the Delhi Jal Board to serve more people with existing resources. It also has clear environmental benefits, including reduced pressure on the Yamuna and groundwater resources, lower energy consumption and a smaller carbon footprint. While the investment required is significant, it can pay back within five to seven years, but in the short term, Delhi is not carrying a five to seven let. problem, but the problem with the loss of water, and that is completely solvable with the right infrastructure.”
His quote is in line with a statement made by Water Minister Parvesh Sahib Singh in January when he talked about refurbishing Delhi’s entire drinking water network. “30% water pipelines can be reconstructed in this tenure of the BJP government and to achieve this in a phased manner, the government will float tenders and award contracts next year,” said Parvesh Sahib, confirming that the overhaul cost would be approx. ₹50,000 million crowns. Authorities plan to replace about 7,000 km of old pipelines in the next two years.
A look at water tariff policy
The current water tariff policy follows the “use more, pay more” principle, on the basis of which DJB collected ₹1,702.63 crore during the financial year 2024-25, the Economic Survey said. To address the problem of leakage and loss of revenue, the Delhi Jal Board has set up a Leak Detection and Investigation (LDI) cell and plans to replace about 184.7 km of old, damaged and leaking water pipelines.
