Illegal colonies along Yamuna continue to discharge sewage in river

161 unauthorised colonies on Yamuna floodplains lack NOCs for sewage lines, leading to discharge in Yamuna. Delhi govt aims to expedite process by 2025.

One-hundred-sixty-one unauthorised colonies located on the Zone O of the Yamuna floodplains are yet to get no-objection certificates from landowning agencies for construction of sewage lines to treatment plants, leading to its discharge in the Yamuna river, Delhi environment department informed National Green Tribunal (NGT). The government said it was making concerted efforts to expedite the process.

Delhi generates 792 million gallons per day (MGD) of sewage at present, but the existing capacity of Delhi’s STPs is only 632 MGD (HT Archive)

The submission, made on behalf of the Delhi chief secretary, said 472 colonies were yet to be connected to a sewage treatment plant (STP). Of these, work in 206 colonies is underway and has a deadline of December 2025, but there has been no progress in 161 colonies.

”Out of 472 unauthorised colonies, colonies, 311 will be connected to decentralised STPs or be provided a proper sewerage network. There are 161 unauthorised colonies where NOC is still awaited from the forest department, ASI, DDA,” it read.

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NGT was hearing a plea filed in December 2022 over illegal sewage dumping in drains in Vasant Kunj. The tribunal had sought the status of trapping sewage and steps taken by the government to curb illegal dumping.

The submission, stating that making connections was unfeasible in some cases, said that work will be completed in 18 months from the date of receiving the NOC.

Delhi generates 792 million gallons per day (MGD) of sewage at present, but the existing capacity of Delhi’s STPs is only 632 MGD. Of this, only around 550 MGD is being treated, with nearly 250 MGD untreated. A large chunk of the untreated sewage is generated by unauthorised colonies, which do not have a sewer network and are either dumping in the open, or are reliant on septic tanks that are emptied periodically by trucks and tankers in drains, eventually reaching the Yamuna.

The submission stated environmental compensation of ₹17.19 lakh was imposed on trucks illegally dumping sewage in the open and 63 vehicles impounded.