Delhi's Yamuna-cleaning plan needs reset, not just money: Report
New Delhi, Amid renewed efforts to clean the Yamuna in Delhi, a new analysis released on Thursday said authorities need to rethink their strategy and stop the mixing of treated and untreated water in drains flowing into the river.
The analysis by Delhi-based think tank Centre for Science and Environment said officials must ensure that tankers collecting faecal sludge from areas without sewer connections do not dump it into drains or the river.
CSE director general Sunita Narain said all such tankers should be fitted with GPS trackers to make sure the sludge is taken to sewage treatment plants for proper treatment and reuse.
She added that untreated water from unsewered areas should be treated near the river before being released.
Narain also said that one of the biggest problems in cleaning the Yamuna is the lack of clear data on the city's population, which makes it difficult to know if the current treatment capacity is sufficient.
The 22-kilometre stretch of the Yamuna between Wazirabad and Okhla in Delhi, less than 2 per cent of the river's total length, accounts for 80 per cent of its pollution load.
The main reasons for the pollution are untreated wastewater from unauthorised colonies and slum clusters and the poor quality of treated water from STPs and common effluent treatment plants .
According to the Delhi Pollution Control Committee , the city generates 3,600 million litres per day of sewage. The 37 STPs in Delhi have a total capacity of 3,474 MLD, about 96 per cent of the sewage generated.
However, these plants are currently operating at only 80 per cent of their capacity, treating just 2,777 MLD. The remaining sewage flows untreated into the Yamuna.
Of the treated water, only around 1,960 MLD meets the required quality standards, that is, the biological oxygen demand and total suspended solids levels should be below 10 milligrams per litre.
Narain said the Delhi government spent more than ₹6,856 crore on Yamuna-cleaning projects between 2017 and 2022.
Despite this, the river remains polluted and dirty. Cleaning the Yamuna will take more than just money. It needs a new and improved plan, she said.
For areas not connected to the sewer system, Narain said the government does not need to invest in expensive pipelines, as managing faecal sludge through tankers is quicker and more affordable.
She also said that STP standards should be set with water reuse in mind, as large investments needed to upgrade the plants to meet the stricter discharge standards delays the cleaning work.
The report called for a fresh plan for the Najafgarh and Shahdara drains, which together contribute 84 per cent of the river's pollution load in Delhi.
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