The Delhi Jal Board (DJB) in a meeting chaired by Chief Minister Sheila Dikshit today discussed the privatisation of water distribution system in Mehrauli, Vasant Vihar and Malviya Nagar. "The initiation of the people-private partnership projects in these areas will be of immense benefit to our consumers. This will ensure upgrading to un-interrupted and pressurised water supply, reduction in the coping costs, minimal chances of contamination, free of cost change in service lines, prompt grievances redressal and improvement in services to consumers at no extra cost," said a senior official of the DJB. It is also expected to increase revenue generation and will reduce energy consumption. It was decided that the Planning Commission would be briefed about the proposed projects. The board also framed regulations on metering and tariff relating to installation fee and rent to be paid for use, maintenance and testing of meters in order to minimise consumer grievances. The DJB gave approval to the Delhi Water and Sewer (Tariff and Metering) Regulations, 2012. The DJB gave approval for hiring 33 jetting-cum-suction sewer cleaning machines for various zones. "The DJB maintains a large network of peripheral sewage mains discharging into trunk sewers. These mains and the manholes get choked frequently for various reasons like silting, blockages by polythene, bags, clothes, wooden planks, cement bags, etc. leading to collapse of the system and resulting in some serious problems, including spread of epidemic," said the official. The machines will be procured for five years at a total cost of over Rs 30 crore.