Delhi: DJB starts process to add treatment capacity to help clean Yamuna

A senior DJB official said that the upcoming series of plants will help bridge the treatment gap of wastewater being generated in the city

Under the Delhi government project for rejuvenation of the Yamuna, the Delhi Jal Board has begun process for setting up the next batch of sewage treatment plants in parts of outer Delhi: a 15mgd (million gallons per day) plant in Zindpur, Northwest Delhi and a 17mgd plant in Mitraon near Najafgarh in Southwest Delhi. A set of seven smaller DSTPs will come up in Jaffarpur, Kazipur, Galibpur, and Sarangpur, officials said.

STPs are the primary tools in DJB’s attempt to clean the Yamuna in the city into which an estimated ,600mld (million litres per day) or 792mgd sewage flows. (Sunil Ghosh/HT Photo)

A senior DJB official said that the upcoming series of plants will help bridge the treatment gap of wastewater being generated in the city.

“We also plan to expand the existing wastewater treatment capacity of the Yamuna Vihar Sewage Treatment Plant (STP) in Northeast Delhi. In the first phase, we are significantly expanding the treatment capacity of Yamuna Vihar plant from 25mgd to 55mgd, adding 30 million gallons of water every day,” an official explained. The bidding process for the new plants is likely to be wrapped up by September 10, officials added.

STPs are the primary tools in DJB’s attempt to clean the Yamuna in the city into which an estimated ,600mld (million litres per day) or 792mgd sewage flows. Delhi has 37 STPs at 20 locations which have an installed capacity to treat only 667mgd water. Delhi's economic survey underlines that the city’s capacity utilisation is only 565mgd and the gap in sewage treatment is 227mgd which ends up in drains, water bodies and the Yamuna.

A second official said that the board earlier this month has also approved the expansion of the Yamuna Vihar plant which is likely to cost ₹403 crore. “Another project to expand the capacity of the Keshopur-1 STP from 12mgd to 18mgd has been approved which is likely to cost ₹133 crore,” the official added. Capacity enhancement will also be carried out at Vasant Kunj, Mehrauli and Okhla STPs which will cumulatively add 15mg treatment capacity and cost around ₹381 crore, officials said.