To make Yamuna pollution-free by 2023, DJB working out a concrete plan: CM

Delhi chief minister had chaired a meeting of the Delhi Jal Board (DJB) where a detailed action plan to clean up the Yamuna, including the use of innovative technology and reuse of treated water, was discussed.

Delhi chief minister Arvind Kejriwal on Wednesday said his government is working on a concrete plan to reduce 90% pollution in the Yamuna river by 2023.

The river remains heavily polluted inmost parts of the year mainly because of a huge volume of untreated sewage and industrial effluents being discharged directly into it. (Sanjeev Verma/HT Photo)

The CM had chaired a meeting of the Delhi Jal Board (DJB) where a detailed action plan to clean up the Yamuna, including the use of innovative technology and reuse of treated water, was discussed.

The water utility presented a plan to reuse 436 MGD (million gallons per day) of treated wastewater, against the current utilisation of 90 MGD only.

The DJB treats 520 MGD of wastewater on a daily basis at its 35 sewage treatment plants (STPs), out of which only 90 MGD is used. This wastewater will be reused to fill water bodies and lakes, for irrigation, gardening, forests, groundwater recharge, etc.

The DJB plans four major interventions to clean up the river, said a statement issued by the CM’s office.

In the first major intervention, the Delhi government will use natural wetlands and aeration methods to treat around 150 MGD (million gallons per day) of polluted water coming from the states of Haryana and Uttar Pradesh, it said.

Secondly, wastewater in small or big drains will be tapped into STPs. Third, steps will be taken to improve the quality of the existing STPs, including upgrading all the equipment.

Fourth, sludge and septage from the septic tanks (mostly used in unauthorised colonies where sewer lines have not been laid) across Delhi will be collected and reused in bio-gas plants to generate electricity and gas.

The river remains heavily polluted inmost parts of the year mainly because of a huge volume of untreated sewage and industrial effluents being discharged directly into it.

Five major outlets carry wastewater into the Yamuna, including Najafgarh drain, Shahdara drain, Barapulla drain, Delhi Gate drain, Mori Gate drain. The Najafgarh and Shadhdara drains, apart from receiving wastewater from within the city, get polluted water from Haryana and UP.

“All the interventions will have different timelines, to be completed by March 2021, 2022, and 2023,” the statement said.