Delhi: DJB launches ₹31.31 crore sewer project in Deoli, Ambedkar Nagar

The project is expected to benefit nearly 300,000 residents across 11 unauthorised colonies in Deoli and Ambedkar Nagar, where lack of sewer infrastructure has remained a persistent concern.

The Delhi Jal Board (DJB) on Saturday launched a ₹31.31 crore sewer development project covering unauthorised colonies in Deoli and Ambedkar Nagar under the Okhla drainage zone, said officials on Saturday, adding that the move aims to reduce untreated sewage discharge into the Yamuna.

Water minister Parvesh Verma laid the foundation stone for the project on Saturday. (Vipin Kumar/ Hindustan Times)

Water Minister Parvesh Verma laid the foundation stone for the project on Saturday, which aims to provide organised sewer connectivity to areas that currently discharge domestic wastewater into open drains leading to the river. The initiative revives a long-pending scheme first sanctioned in 2018, which saw partial execution before getting stalled 2020 onwards.

“The original plan involved laying nearly 57 kilometres of sewer lines, but only about 32 kilometres were completed, leaving large parts of 16 identified colonies without proper connectivity. Under the revived project, around 25 kilometres of underground sewer lines, ranging from 300 mm to 700 mm in diameter, will now be laid over the next nine months,” said Verma.

The project is expected to benefit nearly 300,000 residents across 11 unauthorised colonies in Deoli and Ambedkar Nagar, where lack of sewer infrastructure has remained a persistent concern.

Addressing the gathering, Singh said stopping sewage at the source was essential for cleaning the Yamuna. “This project remained incomplete for years, leaving residents and the river to suffer. We have now ensured funding, accountability and monitoring to complete the work within the stipulated time frame,” he said.

DJB officials have been directed to maintain quality standards and ensure time-bound execution.