New Delhi: In what could bring relief to lakhs of households struggling with water bill disputes, the Delhi government is preparing to launch a one-time settlement scheme around Diwali. The move, aimed at addressing years of complaints about inflated bills, will allow domestic consumers to clear dues without paying late payment surcharges.
According to senior officials, the scheme has received in-principle approval and is currently undergoing final software upgrades. Once the new system is ready, consumers will see their bills recalculated automatically, sparing them repeated visits to Delhi Jal Board (DJB) offices. “Past arrears and surcharges added to current bills have been one of the biggest reasons for inflated amounts. Once those are waived, the bills will fall substantially,” an official explained, adding that the program will initially cover households only, not commercial users.
The city has witnessed mounting discontent among residents, with official data showing that nearly 16 lakh of DJB’s 27 lakh registered domestic consumers were issued inflated bills over the past few years. Many refused to pay, triggering revenue losses for the utility. The previous AAP government had promised a similar waiver but never implemented it. In July, BJP leader and Water Minister Parvesh Verma revived the plan, declaring that late payment penalties would be scrapped for households facing disputed bills. “This is a one-time opportunity. If people don’t pay now, there won’t be another chance,” he had warned.
For DJB, the scheme could improve collections at a time when dues have soared to staggering levels. Records show commercial users owe the board about Rs 66,000 crore, while household arrears amount to roughly Rs 15,000 crore.
Government bodies also contribute heavily to the outstanding balance: Delhi government departments alone owe over Rs 33,000 crore, central government agencies another Rs 29,700 crore, with Indian Railways topping the defaulters’ list at Rs 21,530 crore. The Delhi Police and the Municipal Corporation of Delhi owe Rs 6,097 crore and Rs 26,147 crore, respectively.
Officials estimate that the amnesty scheme could recover around Rs 2,500 crore from domestic consumers. More importantly, they argue, it would restore public trust in the billing system. By introducing automatic recalculation, the government hopes to eliminate a key source of disputes and make it easier for households to settle long-pending bills without bureaucratic hurdles.