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Delhi govt’s nod to Rs 860-crore project to clean Najafgarh drain, one of biggest polluters of Yamuna
A recent survey, an official said, highlighted that untreated sewage that enters this drain has increased from approximately 600 million gallons per day (MGD) to 800 MGD. Of the total outfall, 250 MGD of untreated wastes comes from Haryana, the official added.
As per the project details, 12 DSTPs will be funded under Central government’s Atal Mission for Rejuvenation and Urban Transformation (AMRUT) scheme, which was launched in 2015 to strengthen sewage systems in major cities and towns.
In a significant move aimed at curbing pollution in the Yamuna river, the Delhi government has approved a Rs 860-crore project to set up 12 decentralised sewage treatment plants (DSTPs) to clean the Najafgarh drain. This drain is one of the biggest polluters of the Yamuna, said officials, adding that the project will give a boost to sanitation infrastructure in 120 unauthorised colonies and 27 villages of Outer Delhi. It will also address the perennial waterlogging issues in the surrounding areas during monsoon.
Highlighting the significance of the project, Delhi Water Minister Parvesh Sahib Singh said that a large number of colonies and villages in the Najafgarh region are still discharging untreated sewage directly into the drain, which ultimately flows into the Yamuna and adds to the pollution burden. “This has remained a major environmental challenge for years and the government is now moving towards a permanent solution. Work orders have been issued for the installation of DSTPs at 12 locations, including Kair, Kakrola, Galibpur, Jaffarpur and Kazipur Shikarpur,” the Minister told The Indian Express. The project, he said, will help in treating sewage locally before it reaches the drain network.
The cost, he added, includes not only the construction of these plants but also their operation and maintenance for the next 15 years, for which the executing company will be fully responsible.
A recent survey, an official said, highlighted that untreated sewage that enters this drain has increased from approximately 600 million gallons per day (MGD) to 800 MGD. Of the total outfall, 250 MGD of untreated wastes comes from Haryana, the official added.
As per the project details, 12 DSTPs will be funded under Central government’s Atal Mission for Rejuvenation and Urban Transformation (AMRUT) scheme, which was launched in 2015 to strengthen sewage systems in major cities and towns.
At present, there are 27 sewage treatment plants (STPs) under Delhi Jal Board (DJB) . Of these, 18 are being upgraded. Last year, the Delhi government approved installation of 40 DSTPs for the entire city to treat the sewage before it enters river Yamuna
DJB has a sewage treatment capacity of around 600-700 MGD across all existing STPs currently. With 12 more DSTPs to be set up for Najafgarh drain, the capacity will increase by another 40 MGD.
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The BJP government plans to expand this capacity to 1,250 MGD by June next year, according to officials. Cleaning the Yamuna was one of the key poll promises of the BJP in the Assembly elections last year.
To further strengthen sewage treatment infrastructure, the government is also augmenting the capacity of STPs at key locations. At Keshopur, the treatment capacity is being expanded from the existing 12 MGD to 18 MGD at an estimated cost of Rs 122 crore.
Named after Mughal commander Mirza Najaf Khan, Najafgarh in Southwest Delhi is a densely populated area surrounded by 70 villages. The Najafgarh drain, the final stretch of the 120-km Sahibi river originating in the Aravallis—carries wastewater through Delhi before emptying into the Yamuna.
Fed by dozens of smaller drains, the system is under severe stress due to rising wastewater and runoff, causing frequent waterlogging and flooding in low-lying urban areas and highlighting the urgent need for capacity augmentation.
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The total catchment area of this drain is 918 km and 123 smaller drains fall into it.
© The Indian Express Pvt Ltd
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