How to File RTI for Delhi Jal Board Water Connection, Billing and Sewage Issues

Delhi Jal Board (DJB) is the statutory body of the Government of National Capital Territory of Delhi responsible for supplying potable water, treating wastewater, and maintaining the water and sewerage network across the capital. Millions of Delhi households depend on DJB for their daily water needs, making billing disputes, new connection delays, sewage blockages, and water quality complaints among the most common civic grievances in the city.

DJB is a public authority under Section 2(h) of the RTI Act, 2005, and is fully subject to the Act. Citizens can use RTI to get written, documented answers from DJB on a wide range of matters — from why a meter was not read, to what action was taken on a waterlogging complaint that has been pending for months.

What Can You Achieve with RTI to Delhi Jal Board

RTI is a powerful tool when DJB's internal complaint mechanisms have failed or gone unanswered. Here is what you can realistically achieve:

• New water connection delays: Get the exact processing stage of your connection application, the name of the officer responsible, and DJB's committed timeline for commissioning a new domestic connection in your area.
• Billing disputes: Obtain the meter reading recorded for a specific billing period, whether estimated billing was applied and on what basis, and the date the meter was last calibrated or replaced.
• Water quality complaints: Request water quality test reports — bacteriological and chemical parameters — for your distribution zone or ward, and whether complaints from your area were tested.
• Sewage and drain blockage: Get the complaint registration number for a sewage blockage you raised, the officer to whom it was assigned, and the current status of the action taken.
• Disconnection notices: Ask for the basis and authority for any disconnection notice served on your property, and a copy of the relevant DJB circular or order.
• Tanker supply: In areas without piped connections, ask for the authorised supply schedule, the source of tanker water, and whether it was tested before delivery.

RTI does not compel DJB to fix a problem immediately, but it creates a formal, time-stamped record of the issue that is far harder for officials to ignore than a phone complaint.

Where to File: The Right Authority

DJB has a head office at Varunalaya Phase II, Jhandewalan, New Delhi, and multiple zonal offices spread across the city. For most billing and connection matters, the relevant zonal Revenue Officer or the Central Public Information Officer at the DJB head office can be approached.

For matters affecting your area specifically — such as a sewage blockage in a particular street or water supply interruption in a colony — the zonal office serving that area is the more appropriate first point of filing.

On the Delhi RTI portal at rti.delhi.gov.in, select Delhi Jal Board as the public authority. The portal will list available CPIOs or zonal offices. If unsure, file with the DJB head office CPIO and request that the matter be transferred to the relevant zonal office under Section 6(3) of the RTI Act if needed.

If you have already raised an internal complaint with DJB and received no response, filing an RTI simultaneously with the complaint reference number significantly strengthens your case.

How to File: Step by Step

Step 1: Gather Your Details

Before drafting your application, collect the following:

• Your Consumer Number (printed on every DJB water bill)
• Your Application Reference Number if you applied for a new connection
• Your Complaint Reference Number if you have already registered a complaint with DJB's helpline (1916) or online portal
• The billing period you are disputing, for example "January–February 2026"
• Your property address with full pin code and ward name
• The meter number printed on your water meter, if disputing billing accuracy

Step 2: Draft Specific Questions

Vague questions get vague answers. Draft your questions precisely — specify the consumer number, the period in question, the complaint reference, and exactly what information you need. Use the sample draft below as a starting point and retain only the questions relevant to your situation. You may combine billing, connection, and sewage questions in a single application.

Step 3: File Online at rti.delhi.gov.in

1. Visit rti.delhi.gov.in and register or log in.
2. Click File RTI Application.
3. Select Delhi Jal Board as the public authority.
4. Paste your application text into the description field.
5. Pay the ₹10 application fee online. BPL cardholders are exempt — attach a copy of your BPL card.
6. Note the registration number you receive — you will need it to track your application and file appeals.

You may also submit by post (demand draft or Indian Postal Order of ₹10 in favour of "Delhi Jal Board") or in person at the DJB zonal office or head office.

Step 4: Track and Escalate

DJB must respond within 30 days of receipt (Section 7(1), RTI Act). If the matter concerns the life or liberty of a person, the response must come within 48 hours.

If there is no response or the response is incomplete:

• File a First Appeal under Section 19(1) with the First Appellate Authority at DJB within 30 days of the date of the decision or the expiry of the 30-day response period, whichever is applicable.
• If the First Appeal is also unresolved or unsatisfactory, file a Second Appeal with the Delhi Information Commission (DIC) under Section 19(3) within 90 days. The DIC is the State Information Commission for Delhi under Section 15 of the RTI Act, 2005. DJB is a Delhi State body — second appeals go to the DIC, not the Central Information Commission (CIC).

Step 5: Follow Up

Keep copies of every submission and every response. If DJB provides information that contradicts your bill or confirms a long-pending complaint was never assigned, that record can be used to escalate to the Delhi Chief Minister's Helpline (1031), the Lt. Governor's office, or a consumer forum if the dispute involves a financial claim.

What Specific Information Can You Ask For

For a New Water or Sewer Connection

1. The date on which my application for a new domestic water/sewer connection bearing application number XXXX was received by DJB, and its current stage of processing.
2. The name and designation of the officer currently responsible for processing my application.
3. The standard timeline for commissioning a new domestic water/sewer connection in your area/ward as per DJB's approved procedures, and whether my application has exceeded that timeline.
4. Whether any deficiency or objection has been noted against my application — if yes, the specific deficiency and the date it was communicated.
5. A copy of any internal note, order, or correspondence related to my application reference XXXX.

For a Billing Dispute

1. The actual meter reading recorded for the billing period Month/Year for Consumer No. XXXX at address — the date of reading and the name/employee ID of the meter reader.
2. Whether estimated, average, or flat-rate billing was applied for any cycle in the last N billing periods for Consumer No. XXXX — if yes, the basis and the DJB tariff order authorising such billing.
3. The date of last calibration or replacement of meter bearing no. XXXX installed at address, and the relevant test or calibration report.
4. A statement of account for Consumer No. XXXX showing all charges, arrears, and payments for the last N billing periods.
5. The applicable tariff slab and rate category under which Consumer No. XXXX is billed, and the basis for that categorisation.

For Water Quality Complaints

1. The number of water quality complaints received from Ward name / Colony name / RWA area in the last 12 months, and the action taken on each.
2. Water quality test reports — bacteriological and chemical parameters — for the distribution zone/ward covering address for the last six months. If no tests were conducted, the reason.
3. Whether a water quality test was conducted in response to any complaint from Colony/Street name in Month/Year — if yes, the test results; if no, the reason.
4. The source of water supply to your area — whether groundwater, canal water, or treated surface water — and the treatment plant from which it is distributed.

For Sewage or Drain Blockage Complaints

1. The current status of sewage/drain blockage complaint bearing registration number XXXX lodged on date — the officer assigned, steps taken, and expected resolution date.
2. Whether the complaint has been marked resolved in DJB's system — if yes, the date and the basis for closure; if no, the reason for delay beyond the applicable SLA.
3. The number of sewage blockage complaints pending for street/locality/ward as on the date of this application.
4. Any complaint or inspection report prepared by DJB officials in connection with sewage overflow or blockage at location during the period Month/Year.