DJB to rope in private players,activists cry foul

The proposal,based on the reform model under the Jawaharlal Nehru Urban Renewal Mission (JNNURM),will have internationally-reputed companies bidding for a 10-year contract to provide a complete overhaul of water treatment plants (WTPs),trunk mainlines,distribution networks and meters. While private companies will invest 30 per cent,the rest of the cost will be borne by the government under the JNNURM’s ‘system rehabilitation and maintenance model’.

Chief Secretary Mehta said the plan “is to bring down distribution losses,as Delhi is not going to have any new source of water in the next seven to eight years,while the population shows a sharp upward trend every year”.

Water activists in Delhi under the umbrella of Citizen’s Front for Water Democracy,regard the proposal as a continuation of the trend of selling basic natural assets of the city to global corporations. “For the last 15 years,the agency has been outsourcing work to private agencies in every area,from distribution to the laying of pipelines to sewage rehabilitation. But have we seen any positive result?” asked Sardar Ahmad Naqvi,the Convenor.

In Delhi,over 40 per cent water is lost to leakages. While 10 per cent can be accounted as technical losses,officials call the remaining 30 per cent hidden losses. This also means a loss of over 200 million gallons per day (MGD) in a city that produces no more than 720 MGD.

DJB’s Chief Executive Officer told Newsline: “The aim of outsourcing is to reduce leakages and augment Delhi’s water supply within the existing sources.”

“If outsourcing projects was any good,why does the DJB continue to be under a debt of over Rs 10,000 crore?” asked Naqvi.

“Water production will the remain the same after outsourcing. How difficult is it for the agency to indigenously plug leakages,cut down on non-revenue water and a timely collection of water tariff?” The DJB’s present attempt was to transfer liability onto private companies instead of looking into increasing their own efficiency and cutting operational costs,he said.

Negi,however,maintained that outsourcing will make the agency work more efficiently. “There are hidden leakages that take place under the ground. The DJB has a 12,000-km network of supply pipeline. If we assume that a certain portion of this network is leaking at all times,the DJB is able to change only 300 km annually,” he said.

Official sources said the DJB might consider starting the project with the Nangloi WTP in Northwest Delhi.