Sewage treatment plants to be set up across Delhi: CM

NEW DELHI: A day after taking charge of Water portfolio, Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal on Tuesday said the city would have decentralised sewer system with setting up of small sewage treatment plants (STPs) across the city to treat sewage and recharge groundwater at minimal cost. The CM's direction came as he visited three decentralised STPs in the New Delhi Municipal Council (NDMC) area.

Kejriwal had on Monday asked the senior officials to come up with current status report of water supply in all the colonies in the Capital, filling up of all vacant posts, presentation on decentralised STPs, specific deadline by which the DJB will be able to map colonies without tap water and the deadline for laying the pipelines.

"The DJB will on Friday present the road map to the Chief Minister on STPs in all the colonies and institutions with a special focus on the unauthorised colonies which face the woes of sewage the most," the government said in a statement.

The decentralised STPs would not only solve the crisis faced due to sewage, but will also produce huge amount of recycled water, it stated. "Small STPs in large numbers controlled by locals will be set up across Delhi to treat sewage and recharge groundwater at minimal cost," Kejriwal tweeted.

On Tuesday morning, Kejriwal visited STPs in Nehru Park, Satya Sadan and N P Bengali government school in Gole market. On Monday, soon after taking charge of water, the chief minister had held a meeting of all top officials of the DJB.

During the meeting, Kejriwal had sought a deadline by which problems faced by people related to water supply can be resolved.

"The DJB has been asked to furnish a report on timing of water supply in every colony, the duration of supply and problems faced by people, including water contamination," the Delhi government had said in a statement.

Kejriwal replaced Rajendra Pal Gautam, who was allegedly being 'bypassed' by top DJB officials in decision-making.

A Delhi government official said that Kejriwal decided to take charge of the water portfolio because of the importance of water in people's day-to-day lives and the government is committed to provide uninterrupted and good quality water supply to people. "Kejriwal's stepping in would expedite the process of providing piped water supply to more and more areas of the city, an official said.