New Delhi, Oct. 22 -- Union Home Minister Amit Shah on Thursday inaugurated and laid the foundation stones for 43 water and sewerage projects worth Rs 8,941.22 crore in Delhi, targeting sewage interception at its source to prevent untreated wastewater from entering the Yamuna. The projects include upgrades to existing sewage treatment plants (STPs), 29 decentralised plants, 1,034 km of sewer networks and drainage improvements. Of the 43 projects, 10 worth Rs 2,827.11 crore were inaugurated, while foundation stones were laid for 33 projects worth Rs. 6,114.11 crore. Chief Minister Rekha Gupta, Lieutenant Governor Taranjit Singh Sandhu and Water Minister Parvesh Sahib Singh attended the event.
Yamuna clean-up target set for May 2029
Shah said Prime Minister Narendra Modi had outlined a plan to clean the Yamuna after the government was formed in Delhi, adding that more than 40 per cent of the work under the action plan had been completed. The Centre and the governments of Delhi, Haryana and Uttar Pradesh have prepared time-bound roadmaps, with Shah expressing confidence that the river would be cleaned before May 2029. He alleged that previous governments had allowed Delhi's sewage to flow into the river for 30 years and said around 2,000 tonnes of cow dung from dairies entered the Yamuna daily. Shah also said the Delhi government, with the Centre's assistance, had removed 2.17 crore metric tonnes of garbage and freed 100 acres of land. He claimed the Okhla and Bhalswa landfill heights had reduced by 30-40 metres and the Ghazipur landfill by 10-15 metres.
STP capacity to nearly double
Eight existing STPs will be upgraded for Rs.1,041 crore, increasing their combined capacity from 78.2 million gallons per day (MGD) to 140.8 MGD. The projects include a 124 MGD Okhla STP costing Rs 1,161 crore and upgrades at Rithala and Kondli. Another Rs 3,113.67 crore has been earmarked for 29 decentralised STPs and pumping stations serving 358 unauthorised colonies and 113 villages, covering around 36.29 lakh people. The facilities will have a proposed combined capacity of 170 MGD, according to the Chief Minister's statement.
Sewer network and drainage expansion
A Rs 1,691-crore programme will develop 1,034 km of sewer networks for around 25.82 lakh people. The government cited sewer connections for 18,768 homes across 13 colonies in Gokalpur and approximately 210 km of sewer lines laid in 48 unauthorised colonies in Ranhola, benefiting around 3.31 lakh people. Gupta said sewer connections had also been provided to households serving approximately 1.28 lakh people across 54 unauthorised colonies, with work advanced in another 276 colonies. Around 93 km of trunk sewer lines were desilted and cleaned in one year.
Chandrawal plant to serve 22 lakh people
A new 477 MLD water treatment plant at Chandrawal, costing Rs.298.3 crore, will serve around 22 lakh people in areas including Sadar Bazar, Chandni Chowk, Matia Mahal, Ballimaran, Karol Bagh, Patel Nagar, Rajinder Nagar and New Delhi. The project will replace plants established in 1935 and 1955. Other works include a 2 MGD recycling plant at Bawana, a pipeline carrying 4 MGD of treated water from Kapashera STP to Bijwasan for non-drinking uses, and a 4.5-km trunk drain from Mundka Halt Station to the Najafgarh Supplementary Drain. Sewer rehabilitation is also planned in Dwarka and Janakpuri. "The goal is to connect every household to the sewer network and every sewer line to an STP so that untreated wastewater does not enter the Yamuna," Gupta said. Minister Verma said, "Cleaning the Yamuna is no longer a slogan. The work has started at the root." He added that sewage would be treated and reused wherever possible, while new sewer connections would improve sanitation in underserved colonies and villages.
Published by HT Digital Content Services with permission from Millennium Post.