Working proactively to achieve Yamuna clean-up by 2025: Delhi govt

Water minister Saurabh Bhardwaj said that one of the primary objectives of the government was to achieve complete self-reliance in sewage treatment

Delhi water minister Saurabh Bhardwaj on Friday said the government was proactively working to achieve their target of cleaning the Yamuna by 2025, with a six-point action plan in place which is tackling different sources of pollution.

Both the Delhi lieutenant governor VK Saxena and the Delhi government are working on the Yamuna cleanup. (HT Photo)

The six-point action plan includes augmenting the sewage treatment plant (STP) capacity, in-situ treatment of major drains, upgradation of common effluent treatment plants (CETPs) to handle industrial waste, linking community toilets and JJ clusters to the sewage system, increasing household sewage connection, and desilting and rehabilitation of the sewerage system. The minister said one of the primary objectives of the government with the plan was to achieve complete self-reliance in sewage treatment. The current treatment capacity of 632 million gallons per day (MGD) is to be scaled up to 813 MGD by December this year, he said. Currently, 547 MGD of sewage is being treated in the Capital.

“Furthermore, by June 2024, Delhi will witness a 21% increase to 964 MGD in treatment capacity, providing a significant buffer for future requirements,” he said, adding that the government’s proactive approach towards cleaning the river had seen 400,000 households being provided with free sewage connection under the government’s initiatives. Bhardwaj said that around 792 MGD of sewage is being generated in the city, with the shortfall expected to be met by the increased capacity.

“Additionally, significant progress has been made since 2015, with 619 new unauthorised colonies being added to the sewage network — taking the number to 839 from 220. Around 2,371km of sewer lines have also been added, taking the total to 9,800km. We have procured around 200 sewer cleaning machines and are treating an additional 174 MGD sewage,” Bhardwaj said.

To further bolster capacity, STPs are soon to be made functional at Okhla, Kondli, and Rithala, with Bhardwaj announcing that a capacity of 95 MGD will be added through these three STPs alone. He said the government had desilted around 36km of the Najafgarh drain so far, while the Delhi Jal Board (DJB) had also taken on the responsibility of upgrading 13 CETPS under the Delhi State Industrial and Infrastructure Development Corporation (DSIIDC).

“These upgraded CETPs will adhere to modern standards for the treatment of heavy industrial waste, safeguarding the environment and public health,” Bhardwaj.

Calling the Yamuna an important river for the Capital, Bhardwaj shared comparative data from 2015 and 2023, stating the government had devised a scientific plan to clean the river. “When we took charge in 2015, 373 MGD of sewage was being treated in Delhi, which has increased to 547 MGD now,” said Bhardwaj.

Both the Delhi lieutenant governor VK Saxena and the Delhi government are working on the Yamuna cleanup. While the LG is overseeing the cleanup as part of the National Green Tribunal (NGT) high-level committee (HLC) formed in January, the Delhi government says it has been working on projects to clean up the river even before Saxena was appointed as the LG. The Delhi government had on Wednesday moved the Supreme Court challenging this NGT order, which named the LG as the chairperson of the HLC.

In its plea, the Delhi government said the LG was bound to act only on aid and advice of the council of ministers as per Article 239 AA, and Supreme Court’s 2018 and 2023 orders, stating he was merely a figurative head and cannot be given authority on subjects outside his domain. The plea had also said that while interdepartmental coordination was required, executive powers cannot be granted to the LG.