Atishi orders Delhi’s Okhla STP be ready by December 31

DJB has been instructed to submit weekly project status reports to ensure that deadlines are not missed

Water minister Atishi, who was inspecting the development work of the Okhla sewage treatment plant on Thursday, said that an ultimatum has been issued to the Delhi Jal Board (DJB) to start the operations of the 564 million liters per day (MLD) plant by December 31.

Atishi (HT Photo)

DJB has been instructed to submit weekly project status reports to ensure that deadlines are not missed in the commissioning of the plant which will be able to treat 20% of the city’s sewage, the minister said.

The delayed project was to be commissioned by December 2022 and in the reports submitted to the high-level committee on Yamuna rejuvenation, the water utility has revised the project deadline to March 2024.

“...Inspected the under-construction Okhla STP today and issued a stern ultimatum to DJB - the 564 MLD plant’s operations must begin by 31st December at any cost. The mission to clean the Yamuna is above all else. We will not tolerate any delay in what is one of our most crucial sewage treatment projects, to achieve this goal. Once operational, Okhla STP will be Asia’s largest wastewater plant - capable of single-handedly treating nearly 20% of Delhi’s sewage! DJB has been instructed to submit project status reports to me every week, to ensure that no deadlines are missed in the plant’s commission,” Atishi posted on X.

In an official statement, the water ministry has said that directions have been issued to complete the development work of the facility by December 31. “The project is in its final phase. Upon observing the delay in the project, the minister has directed the officials to complete the project by the end of this year,” the statement said.

The minister said that instead of directly releasing millions of litres of sewage into the Yamuna every day, the plant will treat it. “After the operation of this plant, the biological oxygen demand (BOD) level of polluted water can be reduced to 10. The water treated from the plant will not only help in cleaning the Yamuna but will also be useful for gardening and other purposes,” she said.

This STP will treat wastewater from most parts of central and south Delhi, and after purification, the treated water will be discharged into the Yamuna. The project will treat sewage generated from 40 lakh people in Delhi, and the treated water from the plant can be used for gardening and other purposes. The facility will meet half of its energy requirements through the production of green energy.

“Using the biogas derived from sewage sludge, the plant can generate 4.8 megawatts of electricity. Additionally, the waste-to-energy plant can be operated using the sludge, and it can also be utilised for gardening and other purposes,” a DJB official said.