New Delhi: Delhi Jal Board (DJB) has issued a detailed instructional order to ensure zero tolerance towards water contamination in the capital after a major contamination incident in Indore. The directions, issued by water minister Parvesh Verma, came amid heightened concerns over water quality.The minister has asked officials to intensify inspections of all water pipelines and focus on vulnerable stretches where drinking water lines run close to sewer lines. Any leakage, damage or potential points of cross-contamination should be detected and repaired immediately to avoid risk to consumers. Verma has also ordered the strengthening of continuous quality monitoring at every stage of the supply chain, from treatment plants to distribution zones and consumer endpoints. Frequent sampling and testing are to be done according to prescribed standards.The order said contamination of drinking water is a serious public health issue and directed all DJB divisions to treat such cases as a priority.All complaints related to water contamination received through the 1916 helpline, CPGRAM, PGMS, LG listening posts, offices of public representatives, and DJB local offices must be resolved within two days. Pending complaints dating back to April 1, 2025, are to be listed immediately, and corresponding work or projects planned to ensure their resolution.To tackle one of the key causes of contamination, DJB has launched a coordinated drive to clean trunk and peripheral sewer lines across all divisions, officials said.Over 30 super sucker machines and 16 recycler machines were deployed. Divisions were instructed to supervise operations closely to maximise output in minimum time, the order said. Daily cleaning progress, including the length of sewer lines cleaned, must be reported along with photographs and videos.The order also mandated prompt removal of blockages in internal sewer lines using auto-desilting and smaller machines so that complaints are resolved the same day. Simultaneously, rigorous water sampling was ordered in all areas where contamination complaints were reported in the past month to ensure problems do not recur.The Delhi Test Quality Control (DTQC) wing was directed to deploy additional staff and, if needed, hire extra vehicles to speed up sample collection.Senior officials, including chief and superintending engineers, were tasked with collecting daily data on contamination cases and their resolution. A monitoring cell will be formed to oversee implementation and submit regular reports. Any dereliction of duty at any level will invite disciplinary action.
