New Delhi: The Delhi Development Authority (DDA) and Delhi Jal Board (DJB) have launched targeted field actions as part of the multi-agency effort to rejuvenate the Yamuna.
The two agencies are leading floodplain encroachment removal and sewage control initiatives, respectively. Under
the plan, the DDA has been instructed to clear all encroachments, including illegal nurseries, unauthorised structures, waste dumping, squatters, and farming, from the Yamuna floodplains in East, Northeast, and South Delhi by November.
However, officials noted that anti-encroachment drives often face resistance due to the lack of formal demarcation of floodplain zones. A DDA survey last year estimated that nearly two-thirds of the floodplain area had been encroached in recent years. Despite the challenges, the DDA has reclaimed 224 acres of floodplain land over the years, with key projects including Asita in East Delhi. In April, it informed the National Green
Tribunal (NGT) that it had cleared 24 acres under the Yamuna Vanasthali project between Wazirabad Barrage and ISBT Kashmere Gate.
Meanwhile, the DJB has submitted a comprehensive action plan to the NGT to curb sewage inflow into the Yamuna via the Barapullah drain.In the short term, it plans to identify all sewage entry points into the Barapullah and its sub-drains within six months. The mid-term strategy, spanning six to twelve months, involves setting up modular decentralised sewage treatment plants (STPs) and laying complete sewer networks in unauthorised colonies. Over the long term—within one to three years—the DJB aims to connect over 30 colonies to major STPs such as Okhla and Ghitorni, and construct new STPs at Fatehpur Beri, Maidangarhi, and Chandan Hola.
Officials noted that several areas, including Sangam Vihar, Mehrauli, Deoli, and Chhatarpur, still lack proper sewerage infrastructure, contributing significantly to untreated waste entering the Yamuna.
The cleanup effort is a collaborative mission involving the DDA, DJB, Municipal Corporation of Delhi (MCD), New Delhi Municipal Council (NDMC), Irrigation and Flood Control Department (I&FC), and the Delhi Pollution Control Committee (DPCC).
The Delhi government has directed all agencies to complete floodplain clearance by November, as part of its 45-point action plan to rejuvenate the river.