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Water Minister Parvesh Sahib Singh announced on Friday a 100% waiver of the late payment surcharge (LPSC) on water bills for all domestic and government consumers, effective under a scheme valid till January 31, 2026. The Minister also said that the LPSC, which is charged per billing cycle based on the actual bill amount, has been permanently reduced from 5% to 2%. In other decisions, Mr. Singh said that the number of government-authorised individuals tasked with installing new water meters will be increased to around 1,000, as nearly one lakh requests for new water meter connections are pending, resulting in an annual revenue loss of nearly ₹51 crore. The Minister also announced a significant reduction in fees to regularise illegal water connections in unauthorised colonies to ₹1,000 from the existing ₹26,000 for the domestic category. For the non-domestic category, the fee has been reduced to ₹5,000 from ₹61,000. “The Delhi government is committed to providing every household legal access to clean water. By lowering the regularisation fee drastically, we are encouraging people to come forward and get legal connections without fear or hesitation,” Mr. Singh said while chairing a board meeting of the Delhi Jal Board (DJB). The board also approved a ₹90 crore grant for laying pipelines for the sewage treatment plant at various locations, enabling the treated water to be supplied for irrigation and other purposes. Late fee relief Addressing a press conference, Mr. Singh said that out of the total ₹87,589 crore outstanding water bill dues, including that of the commercial category, a staggering ₹80,463 crore or 91% is of the LPSC, mainly due to high compounding interest rates. The Minister said that many people are unable to settle their outstanding water bill dues due to the high LPSC charges that have accrued over time. However, the waiver scheme will motivate people to settle their bills and help the DJB generate revenue, he added. “For years, Delhiites have been receiving inflated water bills, sometimes running into lakhs of rupees, not because of water consumption but due to compounding interest at 5% per month. We have taken a historic step to end this injustice. By reducing the compounding rate to 2% and waiving up to 100% surcharge, we are ensuring fairness, transparency, and relief to the people,” the Minister said. The DJB will organise awareness and facilitation camps across the city, helping consumers calculate their pending dues, guide them to avail of the waiver, and clear outstanding bills. “This is the first and final scheme of its kind. We urge citizens to settle their outstanding dues while this opportunity is available. After March 31, 2026, there will be no such scheme,” he said. The minister said that an LPSC waiver scheme for commercial consumers will also be announced soon, but it will not be a 100% waiver.
