Complaints of errant tanker drivers asking for money, delay in service and several other aberrations have prompted the Delhi Jal Board to outsource the water tankers and equip them with a global positioning system to keep tabs on the service.
On Tuesday the Jal Board gave its go ahead to the project, which has been awarded after four previous failed attempts. Earlier, the DJB received no bids from companies ready to take over the tanker service. DIMS was hired as consultant and asked to conduct a study on the feasibility of the project.
Currently DJB tankers supply water in eight zones across the city through its own fleet and hired tankers (around 1,000 tankers). As per the new plan, customised water tankers will be made operational in five zones to improve the service.
These water tankers to be manufactured by private companies will have stainless steel containers and their capacity will range from 3 kilo litres to 9 kilo litre. Each tanker will be equipped with a smart card which will be required to be swiped at water filling stations to facilitate check on the quantum of water being supplied.
The tankers will also have GPS devices to check the route followed and keep a tab on the miles they cover. “This will drastically improve services provided by tankers by checking wastage, diversion of water and unreliability of tanker visits,” said a DJB official.
“It will take about three to four months for the tankers to be manufactured and delivered. And once they are roped in for supply, service to the consumers will show improvement,” the official said.
At a meeting headed by Chief Minister Sheila Dikshit, who is also the chairperson of the Board, approval was given for the construction of a 7 Million Litre (ML) underground reservoir and Booster Pumping Station at Shalimar Park, Shahdara, at a total cost of Rs.10.81 crore. The work is likely to be completed within 15 months, plus three-month trial run and ten-year operation and maintenance thereafter. The project will ease water shortage in tail end of the distribution network in Shahdara.
To check leakages and optimise utilisation of available water resources, DJB will replace the water lines in Haiderpur, Prashant Vihar, Delhi Cantonment, Mongolpuri, Meera Bagh and Cariappa Marg. The overall cost of the project is Rs. 18,28,40,237.
The water utility will also replace pipelines from Haiderpur to Lawrence Road Underground to help the consumers in those areas to get improved water supply.
“In the Haiderpur region, DJB has also approved another project for the installation of three new pump sets of 15 MGD capacity each at Kirari where an underground reservoir is under construction. It will receive water from Haiderpur WTP phase 1. Apart from Kirari, water through this new pump installation will also be discharged to other pumping stations,” said an official.
To improve the efficiency of its water treatment facility, DJB has awarded the work of operation and maintenance of the 11 MGD water treatment recycle plant at Wazirabad, for a period of 5 years, at a cost of Rs. 9,39, 92,820.
“The conveyance line carrying treated effluent from Okhla STP to the Ring Road, which supplies recycled water to NDMC areas, is damaged due to heavy traffic movement on the Outer Ring Road. DJB has approved the replacement of the 1500 mm diameter and 3 km long pipeline from Sarai Kale Khan to I.P. Estate Railway Track at a cost of Rs. 12,41,23,915,” the official said. The Board has also approved the setting up of the internal water supply distribution network for the Begumpur village, an unauthorised colony in Bawana. The water lines to be laid will cover 20.20 km.
