Amnesty scheme for waiver of late water bills launched

The Delhi government on Tuesday launched two wide-reaching water service schemes in a major pre-Diwali announcement - the first, offering a 100% waiver on late payment charges for pending water bills cleared before January 31; and the second allowing the regularisation of unauthorised water and sewer connections with heavy concessions totalling around 211,000 crore.

- Paras Singh

Chief minister Rekha Gupta unveiled the initiatives during an eventat the Delhi Secretariat on Tuesday, describing them as a “time-bound opportunity” for thousands of city residents to settle old dues and bring all households into the city’s water supply network.

“The government wants to ensure that no consumer is deprived of water services due to outstanding dues or technical obstacles,” Gupta said.

Under the “Late Payment Surcharge (LPSC) Waiver Scheme’, residents who clear their outstanding principal water dues by January 31, 2026, will receive a complete waiver on late payment charges. After that, from February 1 to March 31, 2026, a waiver of 70% will apply. Payments can be made either in lump sum or in instalments, but the waiver will take effect once the full principal amount is paid.

“Water bills are calculated every two months, and unpaid amounts attract compound interest,” Gupta explained. “This often becomes unaffordable for many families and can even lead to disconnections. This is the government's final amnesty window for people to start afresh.”