₹2,574 crore Wazirabad water upgrade clears key approval stage

Delhi has moved a step closer to a ₹2,574 crore overhaul of the water system linked to Wazirabad, with the Department of Economic Affairs’ Screening Committee granting in-principle approval for the proposed project.

Water Minister Parvesh Sahib Singh said the Asian Development Bank-assisted plan will replace old, damaged and undersized pipelines and lay new transmission and distribution lines where needed. Existing networks are to be interconnected to improve water pressure, reach and reliability.

The proposal includes upgrades to the Wazirabad Water Treatment Plant, underground reservoirs, pumping infrastructure and the distribution network. House service connections are also to be improved and regularised. Areas without formal water connections may be brought into the planned network as infrastructure expands, where technically feasible.

Officials said the project was first conceived in 2013 and had remained stalled for several years before being revived. The government is also working towards linking Delhi’s eight water command areas through eight interconnected command centres, intended to bring information from across the network together for quicker coordination and decisions.

No timeline for construction or completion has been announced.