Despite spending hundreds of crores over so many years, the Yamuna continues to be dirty.
The problem is 45% of Delhi does not have sewer lines. Waste water flows into the river directly through storm water drains. We have adopted two pronged strategy. We are building interceptor sewers, which will run parallel to the three main drains of Delhi.

It will trap sewage flowing in 39 smaller drains and will carry it to the sewerage treatment plant.

Only treated sewage will go into the three main drains and will flow into the Yamuna. But it is only an interim solution.

We are starting the work this year and hope to complete it by 2017.

But if we have more fresh water in the river, the quality of water would automatically improve.
We cannot have more fresh water in the river. Population is increasing across the NCR and so is the demand for water.

We are not in a position to supply drinking water to upcoming colonies like Dwarka.

The DJB has had the plans to lay interceptors for quite some time. How is it going?
It is progressing at a good pace. We review the project on monthly basis. We have already completed 26% work. And we hope to complete it by December 2014.

It is a Rs. 2,000 crore project. It took about two years to design the project.

We are implementing it in six packages and called global tenders to build the interceptors. It will certainly make a huge difference.

- As told to Atul Mathur