Delhi Announces Complete Waiver on Water Bill Late Payment Charges Until January 2026

The chief minister revealed that Delhi has approximately 29 lakh unauthorized water connections currently. (File)

New Delhi:

Delhi Chief Minister Rekha Gupta announced Tuesday a complete waiver of late payment surcharges on water bills amounting to over Rs 11,000 crore for domestic consumers until January 31 next year, providing significant relief to city residents.

During a press conference, the chief minister stated that domestic consumers will receive a 70 percent reduction in late payment surcharge (LPSC) from February 1 to March 31, 2026.

"The government is eliminating Rs 11,000 surcharge on water bills. The LPSC waiver will remain at 100 percent until January 31, 2026. We will not extend this benefit beyond that date. From February 1 until March 31 next year, the LPSC waiver will be reduced to 70 percent," she explained.

Additionally, Gupta announced that the government has decided to substantially reduce the fee and penalty for legalizing unauthorized water connections. For domestic connections, the charge has been slashed from Rs 25,000 to Rs 1,000, while for non-domestic connections, the fee has been reduced from Rs 61,000 to Rs 5,000.

The chief minister noted that Delhi currently has 29 lakh unauthorized water connections.

According to officials, the Delhi Jal Board needs to collect a total outstanding amount of Rs 87,589 crore in pending water bills across all categories including domestic, government, and commercial. Of this sum, the principal amount accounts for Rs 7,125 crore, while the LPSC charge represents Rs 80,463 crore, constituting 91 percent of the total bill.