India, July 14 -- The Delhi Jal Board (DJB) has decided to provide free septic tank cleaning and septage collection services to unauthorisedcolonies, villages and slum clusters, to curb sewage inflow to the Yamuna and also check illegal manual scavenging, officials aware of the matter said on Sunday.

Delhi water minister Parvesh Verma said they will do away with the existing system of using empanelled private contractors. The project will benefit at least 1.2-1.5 million households, he said.

"Under the current system, a list of private empanelled contractors is permitted to clean septic tanks and take it to the sewage treatment facilities. The system has leakages and there are complaints that the septage is dumped in drains and open are...