To reduce the severe pollutionin the Yamuna River, the Delhi governmenthas officially approved a Rs 860-crore project to install 12 decentralised sewage treatment plants (DSTPs) for cleaning Najafgarh drain. The drain is the biggest contributor to pollution in the river. The project is expected to significantly improve sanitation infrastructure in 120 unauthorised colonies and 27 villages in outer Delhi, while also helping tackle chronic waterlogging during the monsoon season, Indian Express reported citing officials.
Why has Najafgarh Drain become a major concern?
Delhi Water Minister Parvesh Sahib Singhsaid a large number of colonies and villages in the Najafgarh region currently release untreated sewage directly into the drain, which ultimately flows into the Yamuna. Calling it a long-standing environmental challenge, the minister said the government is now working towards a permanent solution, the IE report added.
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According to the minister, work orders have already been issued for setting up DSTPs at 12 locations, including Kair, Kakrola, Galibpur, Jaffarpur and Kazipur Shikarpur. The decentralised plants will treat sewage locally before it enters the drain network, reducing the burden on the Yamuna.
The Rs 860-crore expenditure will cover not only the construction of the treatment plants but also their operation and maintenance for the next 15 years. Officials said the executing company will remain responsible for maintaining the facilities during this period, the report mentioned.
Project to be funded under Centre’s AMRUT scheme
The 12 DSTPs will be funded under the Centre’s Atal Mission for Rejuvenation and Urban Transformation, launched in 2015 to strengthen sewage and urban water infrastructure in cities and towns across India.
At present, the Delhi Jal Board (DJB) operates 27 sewage treatment plants across the capital, of which 18 are currently being upgraded. Last year, the Delhi government had approved 40 decentralised sewage treatment plants across the city to intercept and treat sewage before it reaches the Yamuna, IE reported.
Officials said the DJB currently has a sewage treatment capacity of around 600-700 MGD. The addition of the 12 new DSTPs for the Najafgarh drain will add another 40 MGD of treatment capacity, it added.
BJP govt targets cleaner Yamuna by June 2027
The BJP-led Delhi government is aiming to increase the city’s overall sewage treatment capacity to 1,250 MGD by June next year. Cleaning the Yamuna was one of the BJP’s key promises during the Delhi Assembly elections.
To further strengthen sewage infrastructure, the government is also expanding the capacity of existing sewage treatment plants. At Keshopur, the treatment capacity is being increased from 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 region surrounded by nearly 70 villages. The Najafgarh drain forms the final stretch of the 120-km Sahibi river, which originates in the Aravalli hills and carries wastewater through Delhi before emptying into the Yamuna.
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Fed by dozens of smaller drains, the Najafgarh drainage system is facing mounting pressure from increasing wastewater discharge and runoff. Officials told IE that this has led to frequent flooding and waterlogging in low-lying urban areas, underlining the urgent need to expand treatment and drainage infrastructure.
The total catchment area of the drain spans around 918 sq km, with nearly 123 smaller drains feeding into it.
Study finds high levels of plastic pollution in drain
An urban drainage channel study found alarming levels of plastic contamination in the Najafgarh drain, with microplastic concentrations ranging between 5,400 MPs/m³ during the pre-monsoon period and 2,400 MPs/m³ post-monsoon. The pollutants included plastic fragments, films, pellets, foam, and fibres.
The Shahdara drain is the second-largest contributor to pollution in the Yamuna, accounting for nearly 11% of the total wastewater flowing into the river. Around 45% of the polluted water entering the drain originates from parts of Uttar Pradesh, including Sahibabad, Indirapuri, and Banthala. The drain also carries a significant volume of industrial waste from the Loni area, the Sahibabad industrial township, and the Loni drain, further worsening pollution levels in the Yamuna, according to a study by Social Policy Research Foundation (SPRF).
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