After a spree of informal discussions with the Delhi Jal Board, the North Delhi Power Limited (NDPL) — which distributes power in North and Northwest Delhi — has submitted an official proposal to the DJB to take over the water provider’s meter installation, metering, bill collection and grievance redressal activities in its network areas.

NDPL CEO Sunil Wadhwa said, “We have submitted a proposal to the DJB outlining our strengths in these regions. In our distribution network, 60 per cent of the water consumers use unmetered connections. Naturally that has led to massive losses to the DJB and we believe we can help them streamline their systems.”

In order to cut the DJB losses, NDPL has proposed it will ensure that all consumers are moved to metered connections. Thereafter, NDPL will also monitor the metering process and distribution as well as collection of bills.

“There are 10 lakh consumers in our areas and for the pilot we have proposed picking up two to three areas, which would be approximately two lakh customers,” Wadhwa said.

Since privatisation, six years ago, NDPL has converted all its connections to metered power connections. It has also streamlined its own billing process to include convenient payment options and locations for power consumers. Now, the NDPL hopes to do the same with water metering and billing.

DJB CEO Ramesh Negi said, “The DJB would soon sign a contract with the Tata Group-backed power distribution company NDPL for outsourcing bill generation, meter reading, bill collection, replacement of meters, giving new connections, plugging leakages at the ferrule and from ferrule to the residence. The project is being outsourced on a pilot basis only in NDPL areas.”

The contract, which DJB officials said would be signed next week, has a limited mandate and will be on transaction basis.

“The benchmark is to be set. The DJB seeks an increase in revenue and decrease in leakages; a 100 per cent correction in metering and zero per cent leakages,” Negi said.

“All over the world, utilities have combined power and water billing and eventually we hope to move to a one-bill solution for both power and water,” Wadhwa said.

While the NDPL had hoped, as earlier reported, to eventually extend the project to a Phase-II, which would include taking over of water distribution, Wadhwa said those plans are now on hold.