DJB bags prestigious water performance initiative award

‘The awards were given away at the prestigious global water summit, held at Paris, France, from 06-08 April 2014,’ said board’s spokesperson.

The Global Water Summit is a major business conference for the water industry worldwide. The awards acknowledge the most important achievements in the international water industry within several categories.

DJB’s spokesperson said that the theme for the year at the Global Water Summit was ‘Water for Growth.’ It emphasised on the importance of water as being a necessary element for facilitating economic expansion. It also addressed the issue of productivity gains that can be achieved through new technologies within the water/wastewater sector, through better operational practices and inspired leadership pointing towards water being one of the quintessential engines of growth, both for cities and for businesses.

The award not only lauds the efforts made by the board but also comes at an opportune time when DJB has directed its efforts towards overhauling its financial status and has increased the efficiency and quality of its services provided to its huge customer base of about 18 million people in the National Capital Territory of Delhi.

The citation, further, states that DJB successfully weaned itself off state subsidies whilst reducing its debt burden, thus, becoming one of the first utilities in India to cover its O&M costs. It also commends DJB for having revitalised its obsolete billing and collection system, thereby reducing the billing cycle, improving accuracy and developing a robust customer database.

The citation notes that the Delhi Jal Board made sustained efforts to tackle the city’s ‘tanker mafia’ and secured a safer service for its vast client base, setting a shining example before the rest of the country.

The other nominees were commended for their work in the water and wastewater sector in their geographical locations. The Bahamas Water and Sewerage Corporation, the water and wastewater utility serving the state of Bahamas, initiated a project which led to 24/7 water supply at consistent pressure for all residents using a new advanced pressure management system.

The water and wastewater system for Cachoeiro de Itapemirim, a city of 200,000 people in Espírito Santo state in Brazil, operated by a subsidiary of Odebrecht Ambiental, completely eliminated the utility’s energy costs by implementing a boldly innovative solution for a water utility – a hydro-electric power plant.