Capital to construct 12 new STPs worth ₹7,200 cr to clean Yamuna

NEW DELHI: The Delhi government is planning to construct 12 new sewage treatment plants at an estimated cost of Rs 7,200 crore, Chief Minister Rekha Gupta said on Friday.

Presenting her government’s one-year report card, Gupta noted that Rs 9,000 crore had been allocated for the rejuvenation of the Yamuna

over the past year.

“Cleaning Yamuna was a legacy problem. When we took over, it was evident that the previous government did not pay much attention to river. We started revamping the existing infrastructure, including the planned construction of 12 new STPs,” Gupta said.

The initiatives are part of a 45-point action plan launched last year to clean the river. The project aims to tap all large drains that discharge waste into the Yamuna and redirect them to treatment facilities.

“We have completed drone surveys and tapping of all these drains. The government is planning 35 new decentralised STPs at a cost of Rs 2,400 crore,” the chief minister said, adding that these decentralised STPs are being planned in areas where large STPs cannot be built due to space constraints.

The 22 kilometers stretch of the Yamuna from Wazirabad to Okhla remains the focal point of these effors efforts. Gupta noted that the government aims to increase the city’s total sewage treatment capacity to 1,500 million gallons

per day (MGD).

“When we came to power, the capacity was around 700 MGD. In the past one year, it has increased to around 800 MGD,” she said. She added that 28 out of the 37 STPs have already been upgraded.

The chief minister said a massive desilting operation removed 22,000 metric tonnes of silt, preventing waterlogging at chronic spots like Minto Bridge. Under a broader Drainage Master Plan, major overhauls are planned for drains along Rohtak Road, Zakhira road , Najafgarh-Nangloi road, Kirari , Mehrauli-Badarpur road, Azadpur and Azadpur-Nathupura area.

Gupta said Delhi produces 1,500 tonnes of cow dung daily. A 200 TPD biogas plant was set up at Nangli Dairy and a 200 TPD CBG plant at Ghogha Dairy. The government is also in talks to boost Yamuna

water flow.