New Delhi, March 25 -- The Delhi government has set aside Rs.9,000 crore in the budget for the water and sanitation sector to plug leaks, expand treatment capacity and narrow a daily supply gap that still leaves the Capital short by 250 MGD (million gallons per day) of drinking water.

Presenting the budget in the Delhi assembly on Tuesday, chief minister Rekha Gupta, who also holds the finance portfolio, said the allocation of Rs.9,000 crore - about 8.68% of the total expenditure - was meant to operationalise new water treatment plants, expand supply networks and replace ageing transmission lines.

Of this, around Rs.1,500 crore will go towards constructing sewage treatment plants (STPs) with a combined capacity of 480MGD, with central a...