After initiating reforms in the water sector, Delhi government will soon set up a regulatory body to streamline the water management system and may bring a legislation to put in place stringent norms to check wastage of resource.
Chief Minister Sheila Dikshit, who is also chairperson of Delhi Jal Board, said Government was very sincere in improving water management system and the regulator would be on par with city’s power regulator Delhi Electricity Regulator Commission (DERC).
Indicating that government may bring a legislation to curb wastage of water, she said there was a need to “make people pay for every drop of water they use.”
“At the moment, Delhi is facing a difficult and critical situation with regard to water. Existing water laws are ambivalent and there is need for a strong legislation. We are currently in the process of setting up a water regulatory body on par with the DERC,” Chief Minister Sheila Dikshit said addressing a seminar.
“India is rather spoilt. People don’t pay for most resources they use, as a result they don’t value what they get. Once you make people pay for every drop of water they use, they will learn to value it more,” she said.
Echoing the Chief Minister’s views, Delhi’s Chief Secretary P K Tripathi said, “People have lost value for water. Law is the only force that can bring back respect for the resource. Unless water is priced people won’t value it.”
“Water must be priced on par with electricity and it should not be priced according to the whims and fancies of the public but by an independent regulatory system which is not swayed by emotional consideration,” he said.
Stating that Delhi was in an “odd situation” as most resources are “borrowed” from neighbouring states, the Chief Minister stressed the need to check wastage of water.
