“Delhi not husbanding, tracking water resources”, December 23, makes a very valid point — Delhi gets the most water in the country, but its citizens keep complaining of shortages. The reason for this is that, with roughly half the water lost, it does not reach the citizens. This is the issue that the government needs to address — things like water harvesting are a good idea and should be encouraged, but the critical issue is to ensure this waste gets plugged. This requires proper metering and laying of better pipes — all of which is possible only when the Delhi Jal Board finds some money coming in.
This is quite the same thing that happened in the case of the power sector where large losses ensured the Delhi Vidyut Board (DVB) could never function well. When the DVB was privatised, North Delhi Power Limited (NDPL) ensured that losses were reduced and now customers in NDPL areas are very happy with the quality of supply.
Ashok Gupta, New Delhi