The Delhi Jal Board (DJB) is set to develop an integrated digital system for water tanker services in the city, which will allow residents to request emergency water supplies digitally, track tankers in real-time and verify the deliveries, officials said on Monday.
The water utility invited bids for development and operation of an Integrated Smart Water Tanker Management System (ISWTMS) on October 1, bringing the supply chain — from receiving a request and allocating a tanker to filling, movement and delivery — on a common platform, officials said. A 2025 performance audit by Comptroller and Auditor General (CAG) of India found that only 21-38% of hired tankers had GPS during the period examined, while the department’s tankers had no GPS during the 2017-18 and 2021-22 periods. The audit mentioned that the lack of monitoring increased the risk of theft, pilferage and diversion of water. “Drivers will use a mobile application equipped with a QR code feature; water can be drawn from the bay hose only after scanning this QR code. Automatic Number Plate Recognition (ANPR) cameras will be installed at all DJB filling stations to read the tankers’ number plates. “These decisions are about building that kind of system, where planning, technology, and accountability work together. Technology will help us make the system more accountable and efficient,” he added.
Besides, the DJB official said that the new system also seeks to address a longstanding monitoring gap. The DJB official said that under the new system, as soon as a tanker enters the water filling station, the driver will be informed of the delivery location and the specific bay number where the water is to be collected. The volume of water filled into the tanker will be measured using a flow meter,” the official said. Delhi water minister Parvesh Verma said Delhi needs a water system that works when there is an emergency or a breakdown.
