Make process for getting new water connections simpler: Kejriwal to DJB

NEW DELHI: Chief Minister and Delhi Jal Board chairman Arvind Kejriwal on Saturday directed officials to make the process for getting new water connections "as simple as possible" and to restart more than 100 "non-functional" tubewells in Malviya Nagar to ensure adequate water supply in the area.

At a meeting, attended by DJB CEO Nikhil Kumar and other senior officials, the chief minister was informed that people were facing problems due to the complex process of obtaining a new water connection.

CM Kejriwal directed the officials to discuss the issue immediately and make the process as simple as possible. "Providing water to people is our duty. We should not have any complex rules for new water connections," he said. Malviya Nagar MLA Somnath Bharati apprised the chief minister of the issues related to water supply in his area.

He said the previous government had entrusted the Malviya Nagar Water Services with the responsibility of ensuring round-the-clock supply in the area, but it provides only three hours of water to the residents daily. Officials told Kejriwal that more than 100 tubewells were lying unused in the area. The chief minister issued directions to restart these tubewells and all the booster pumping stations in the area to ensure enough water supply to residents. The chief minister also directed that the work of road restoration after laying of sewer lines must be completed at the earliest.

Though the infrastructure of the water network like water pipeline & sewage network has got a major boost in the last four years, there are some issues of water supply which were focused during the meeting and resolution were sought at the earliest by the Chief Minister.

Before the year of 2015, the whole area was dependent on tube-wells and no water from Sonia Vihar had reached the area, with the persistence of the present government under Sh. Arvind Kejriwal, water supply from Sonia Vihar has reached each and every household of the area.

"We have worked hard and with the blessings of the Chief Minister we have been successful in making Sonia Vihar water reach each and every household of the area. What we need to solve now are issues of water supply in some of the pockets of the constituency," said Somnath Bharti.