Delhi Jal Board revives decade-old Wazirabad upgrade plan

The Delhi Jal Board decided to revive the 10-year-old plan to decentralise the Wazirabad plant into two units of 80 mgd and 40 mgd and undertake major upgrades. The work will include constructing new clear water reservoirs and pumping stations, upgrading UGRs, booster stations, primary and secondary distribution mains, tertiary pipelines, customer connections, and bulk and consumption meters. A central SCADA system will monitor catchment areas and distribution, with a consulting firm to assist for six years. A tender has been floated. The project cost has been revised to about $286 million (around ₹2,574 crore), with the Delhi government expecting around $200 million from ADB to help finance the investment programme.

The Comptroller and Auditor General's report on the functioning of the Delhi Jal Board, tabled in the Delhi Assembly, flagged the lack of progress on the Wazirabad project as a major failure, noting that ₹2,243 crore in financial assistance had been secured but progress remained inadequate; the report also highlighted that ADB had withdrawn funding in 2019.

Water minister Parvesh Verma announced that the new government was reviving the project with a renewed agreement with ADB after meeting the ADB country director.

ADB withdrew its funding for the project, citing irregularities and administrative problems, contributing to delays and questions about project readiness.

The Delhi Jal Board approved the plan to decentralise a 120 mgd Wazirabad plant into two plants of 80 mgd and 40 mgd, with a tentative cost of ₹2,243 crore. The project was to be funded by the Asian Development Bank (ADB) and had an estimated completion period of 72 months.