Overview

• Water Minister Parvesh Verma reported that unpaid water bills have climbed to ₹1.42 lakh crore, split between ₹66,000 crore in commercial, ₹61,000 crore in government and ₹15,000 crore in domestic dues.
• The administration will waive 100% of late payment surcharges for domestic and government categories under a system slated to go live within four weeks.
• Officials estimate that scrapping these surcharges could generate between ₹6,000 crore and ₹7,000 crore in fresh revenue for critical water and sewage projects.
• Delhi has formally asked the central government to assist in recovering outstanding dues from various government establishments.
• The Delhi Jal Board will replace all mechanical meters with smart water meters to reduce billing disputes and improve meter-reading accuracy.