Announcing the budget estimate for the next financial year and the revised budget estimate for 1998-99, Chief Executive Officer of the DJB, Pradip Mehra, said revenue collection would be increased to Rs 223 crore from the estimated 160 crore during the coming year.

He said the Rs 990.50 crore budget comprises Rs 590.50 crore on the revenue account and Rs 400 crore for plan works (including Rs 325.05 crore as loans from the government to fund water supply and sewage projects and Rs 74.95 crore as Grants-in-Aid, primarily for provision of water supply and sewage facilities in areas like JJ clusters and unauthorised colonies).

The DJB has proposed an increase in the grant component from Rs 18.76 crore during the current year to Rs 74.95 crore during the coming year, an almost four-fold increase, as a part of its commitment to provide water and sewage facilities to the weaker sections.

Besides, the DJB has proposed the launching of several public interest schemes during the next financial year. These include a project for the installation of 2,000 deep bore hand pumps and 250 tube-wells to be completed before the summer and the purchase of 100 tankers to create the core capacity of 600 tankers/trucks; the completion of the 20 MGD Bawana Water Treatment plant and beginning the construction of the 140 MGD Sonia Vihar and 40 MGD Okhla Water treatment plants.

The DJB also proposes to provide the 1,017 unauthorised colonies, 567 unauthorised/regularised colonies, 44 resettlement colonies and 1,080 JJ clusters with water supply systems during the next one year. This, Mehra said, is aimed at bringing much needed relief to the under-priviledged sections. At present, these colonies are only partly covered by the board.

Mehra also said that the construction of the 40 MGD capacity Nangloi water treatment plant has been completed. It will provide drinking water to about 10 lakh people residing in the rural areas, in Dwarka, north west Delhi and part of South Delhi, including more than 200 unauthorised colonies.