Delhi to unveil Okhla STP, on September 30

Built with JICA aid, the Okhla STP began trial runs in April and will cater to 4 million residents across Green Park, Lajpat Nagar, Okhla and more.

The Delhi Jal Board is set to inaugurate its largest sewage treatment plant (STP) in south east Delhi’s Okhla on September 30, senior government officials said. The STP will treat more than 124 million gallons of wastewater every day.

Delhi’s 37 STPs treat only 565 MGD against 792 MGD sewage generated, leaving a 227 MGD gap that pollutes Yamuna, which new revamp projects aim to plug. (HT Archive)

The Okhla treatment plant has been developed by the Centre, the National Mission for Clean Ganga (NMCG), and the DJB. The final assistance for the project — started in 2019 — has been provided by the Japan International Cooperation Agency (JICA). A government official said senior functionaries from Centre and Japan will be invited for the event.

Further, there are other STP revamp projects the Delhi government is planning to unveil on September 30. “The projects lined up include upgradation of the existing STPs in Keshopur, Kondli, Yamuna Vihar, Coronation Pillar, Rohini Sector-25, Narela, and Najafgarh. Cumulatively, all these projects will significantly aid in the efforts to clean the Yamuna,” DJB official said. Foundation stones will also be laid for extending the sewage line network in Karawal Nagar, Sonia Vihar, Hasanpur, Gokulpur, Vikaspuri, Tajpur Khurd and Ranhola, officials informed.

STPs are the primary tools in the attempt to clean Yamuna in the city which has an estimated sewage generation of 3,600 MLD (million litre per day) or 792 MGD (million gallons per day).

Government estimates reveal that 80% of the city’s water supply comes back as wastewater. Delhi has 37 STPs at 20 locations with the capacity to treat only 667 MGD water. Delhi economic survey underlines that the city’s capacity utilisation is only 565 MGD and the gap in sewage treatment is 227 MGD which ends up in drains, water bodies and Yamuna.

Spread across 40 acres and constructed at the cost of ₹1,161 crore, the project was completed in April this year and put under a trial run period. The Okhla treatment plant will cater to a catchment area of around four million residents covering areas like Green Park, Hauz Khas, Lajpat Nagar, New Friends Colony, Chittaranjan Park, Okhla, and Sarita Vihar.