New Delhi: All sewage and industrial waste flow into Yamuna in Delhi will be completely stopped in the coming two years as the government begins its campaign to achieve its target of cleaning the river by 2027, as promised by the BJP that returned to power in the national capital after 27 years.
To achieve this, all of the city’s sewage treatment plants will be made fully functional, with six new plants being established. Additional Chief Secretary Naveen Chaudhary said on Monday.
Chaudhary, who oversees the Irrigation and Flood Control Department and was inspecting the river cleaning efforts, expressed a strong commitment to cleaning the Yamuna within the next three years.
He said the entire 57-kilometer stretch of the Yamuna in Delhi will be cleaned in the coming years.
Action plan to clean Yamuna in Delhi
For the river cleaning process, Chaudhary stressed the need to ensure the removal of garbage and weeds and the complete functioning of sewage treatment plants (STPs) to stop untreated sewage and industrial waste from flowing into the river.
“Seven machines have been deployed to remove solid waste, water hyacinth and weed from the river and this work will go on for the next few months,” he said.
Simultaneously, the goal is to modernise and upgrade about a dozen sewage treatment plants (STPs) and complete the construction of six new plants by the end of 2026, Chaudhary told reporters.
He emphasized that industrial units discharging untreated waste into the Yamuna would be shut down, and assured that common effluent treatment plants (CETPs) in industrial areas would be closely monitored to ensure they function properly.
PM Modi’s promise
During a celebratory gathering for the Bharatiya Janata Party’s (BJP) recent victory in the Delhi Assembly elections, Prime Minister Narendra Modi vowed that the Yamuna, plagued by severe pollution, would be cleaned, regardless of the time and effort required.
“Strict action will be taken against anyone found discharging untreated sewage into the Yamuna once all STPs are fully operational by December 2026,” Chaudhary stated.
He also outlined concrete measures to prevent industrial effluents from entering the river, with the Delhi Pollution Control Committee (DPCC), Municipal Corporation of Delhi (MCD), and the industry department collaborating on this effort.
Around 28 to 30 large drains, including the Najafgarh and Barapulla drains, currently discharge untreated wastewater into the Yamuna. Numerous smaller drains also feed into these larger drains, further contaminating the river.
Additionally, the Delhi Jal Board (DJB) is working to prevent sewage flow through storm drains, with the task expected to be completed within two to three months.
