New Delhi, Oct. 17 -- The Delhi Jal Board (DJB) is considering privatising its packaged bottled water services, senior government officials said, adding that plans are afoot to hire a third party to expand distribution and improve availability at more economical rates..

Water Minister Parvesh Verma said a private partner may be brought in on a revenue-sharing basis. "By involving a third party, availability and service quality can improve. We will formulate the policy, and the DJB can help run it efficiently and transparently," he said.

Currently, DJB sells processed packaged drinking water under the brand name "JAL" in two variants - 20-litre jars and cartons of 24 smaller 250ml packs.

The bottling plant in Greater Kailash-1, near Sad...