348 Mohalla clinics to be built on DJB sites

NEW DELHI: The Delhi Jal Board (DJB) has approved setting up of 348 Mohalla clinics in its locations, during its 132nd Board meeting, headed by the Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal, held on Friday.

Kejriwal, who is also incharge of the Water department, has focussed steadily on the construction of Mohalla clinics across the city.

In the first phase, most clinics will come up in underdeveloped areas of the city.

According to sources, the Board will increase this number soon as per the CM's instruction.

"The work on the first phase of Mohalla clinics is on and the CM wanted to build clinics on DJB locations, which the Board has approved," said an official.

He added this will help expansion of the clinics in the city, which often gets stuck due to lack of proper space.

During Friday's meeting, after analysing the rules of water supply, the DJB had also decided to remove the limit of 10 water connections per residential multi-storey building.

Until now, buildings with more than 10 flats were provided with a bulk water connection and were required to have an underground tank.

"There are several buildings in Delhi which have more than 10 flats. Thus, it was decided to do away with the cap to make every resident get a legal connection, irrespective of the number of flats and connections in the building," said a senior Delhi government official.

DJB also approved setting up of 93 decentralised sewage treatment plants (STPs) and to award Rs 10 lakh as compensation to kin of victims of sewer deaths since 1993.

Moreover, Rs 10.49 crore for hydropower projects, payment of 7th Pay Commission allowances to employees, and water audit through flow-meters were approved at the meeting.

Laying of water and sewer lines in several areas of the city – including Madhu Vihar, Kirari, Rajnagar Extension II in Bijwasan, Gokulpur, Karawal Nagar and Mustafabad, Jhilmil Colony, Vikaspuri Group of Colonies, and Kamruddin Nagar – has also been given green signal by the Board.

According to sources, all these projects were pending due to various issues

However, since taking over as Water minister, the Chief Minister has set priority areas to the Board, which are being following.

"The CM has said that after the Mohalla clinics, he would focus on the STPs and also on water connections in unauthorised colonies," an official said.

The Board has already started working on decentralisation of STPs. The setting up of these STPs would also help the unauthorised colonies.

Sources added that the Mohalla clinic project would be directly monitored by the CM.