Delhi Water Minister orders probe into AAP govt's defunct Rs 80-cr Timarpur sewage project

New Delhi, April 20 (IANS) Delhi Water Minister Parvesh Verma on Sunday promised an enquiry into alleged wasteful expenditure of Rs 80 crore by the previous AAP government on a defunct sewage treatment and water recharge facility in north Delhi’s Timarpur.

Visiting the proposed site, Verma said this project is a glaring example of corruption under the AAP government as it has not been commissioned despite an expenditure of crores of rupees.

“Around Rs 35 crore were spent on landscaping and grass plantation, and another Rs 40 crore on building ponds, totalling nearly Rs 80-85 crore. Questions are being raised about where this money went, and investigations will follow...,” he said.

He said the proposed project, based on old techniques and concepts, was never started or commissioned.

“The AAP government even had plans to spend more public money on maintenance of this proposed facility, but I have put a stop to wasteful expenditure,” he said.

“We are going to repurpose the site and ensure that its new use is beneficial for people and the department as well,” he said.

Under the project, the AAP government planned to release clean water from the STP into the Timarpur lake. After completion, the stored water was supposed to assist in recharging groundwater and boost water treatment.

Later, Verma visited the Tilak Bridge in central Delhi, which is vulnerable to waterlogging during rains, and inspected the area's drainage and pumping facilities.

In the morning, the Verma joined Chief Minister Rekha Gupta in flagging off 1,111 GPS-enabled water tankers aimed at easing the water crisis in the national capital.

The 1,111 GPS-enabled tankers are part of a wider effort to improve water access in areas with limited or no piped water supply. The initiative, spearheaded by the Delhi Jal Board, is designed to provide real-time tracking and greater accountability.

Verma, who inspected the rollout site early in the morning, said the move would effectively dismantle the tanker mafia that thrived under the previous regime.

"Under our government's transparency model, and as India completes 10 years of Digital India under PM Modi, we've connected the Delhi Jal Board to a fully digital IT dashboard at our headquarters in Jhandewalan," Verma said.

"The previous government made Delhi a swamp. We've managed to bloom a lotus in that swamp and will continue to do so," he said.

Verma added that every tanker will be assigned specific routes and destinations, and the public will be able to track them through a mobile app.

"Whether the tanker actually delivers water at the designated point or not will also be tracked, thanks to the sensors we're installing," he said.

--IANS

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