Justice Sachar-led group asks for Nangloi project details

A citizen’s group led by retired Justice Rajindar Sachar has asked Delhi Jal Board to make the details of the Nangloi project public.

The DJB had cleared the project for revamping the plant in its board meeting on October 26 at a cost of Rs 652.32 crore.

It includes improvement of the existing water supply through operating the water treatment plant, transmission and distribution network.

But the Citizens Front for Water Democracy (CFWD) has said the Nangloi public private partnership project is “overpriced” by comparing it with a Patna project tendered recently at about one third the price of the Nangloi project.

In support of the issues raised by CFWD, the Water Privatisation-Commercialisation Resistance Committee (WPCRC) under the aegis of Sachar issued a statement on Tuesday.
“The issues raised by CFWD and Water Workers Alliance are pertinent and the DJB owes an answer to the people of Delhi,” the statement said.

Debashree Mukherjee, DJB CEO, said she is looking into the project and the claims made by CFWD. But rejecting her statement, Sachar said, “This should have been done at the very initial stage of the proposal of the Nangloi project. There will be no review and a huge fund will be pocketed by the private company.”

The WPCRC has asked the city government and DJB to put a stay on the operation of the project and discuss the issue with representatives of committees who are opposing privatisation of water in the Capital.