In the ongoing efforts to rejuvenate the Yamuna River, the High-Level Committee (HLC), chaired by Delhi Lieutenant Governor VK Saxena, has identified new thrust areas in addition to the existing eight action points. These new initiatives were presented for review during the fifth meeting of the HLC, based on experiences and progress made thus far.
The newly identified action points include the delinking of sewerage lines and stormwater drains caused by faulty interconnections, prevention of waste dumping from bridges across the Yamuna River, and de-silting of sewer lines below 1000 mm diameter. These initiatives will complement the existing eight tasks that the HLC has been monitoring and implementing. To rectify faulty interconnections between the sewerage system and stormwater drainage, the HLC aims to ensure full capacity utilization of stormwater drainage. The Irrigation and Flood Control Department (I&FCD) has been tasked with providing an agency-wise list of stormwater drains connected to sewer lines, with the Delhi Jal Board (DJB) already identifying 539 points of faulty interconnections. The committee has instructed the relevant agencies to submit timelines for the disconnection of these faulty interconnections. Another focus area is the prevention of waste dumping from the bridges over the Yamuna River. The HLC plans to cover ten bridges and ensure that the agencies responsible for their maintenance provide wire mesh/netting and adhere to repair timelines. Progress has been made on some bridges, while data is awaited for others, with corrective measures and repairs scheduled accordingly. According to official, the half a kilometre of Wazirabad Barrage Road bridge is provided with wire mesh/net which is partially damaged and the repair of this by the Public Works Department (PWD) is likely to completed by this month.
The 0.57 kilometre Inter-State Bus Terminus (ISBT) near Kashmere Gate bridge is provided with wire mesh/net which is partially damaged and the repair of this by the PWD is likely to completed by this month. The 0.93 kilometre Old Iron railway bridge bridge is provided with wire mesh/net which is intact and the maintaining agency is Northern Railways Bridge Department. The 0.55 kilometre of Geeta colony bridge is provided with wire mesh/net which is missing in 12 square metre/theft and corrective measures will be undertaken by the PWD,which is likely to complete the work in one month from the date of commencement.
The 0.6 kilometre ITO bridge is provided with wire mesh/net which is missing in 50 square metre/theft and corrective measures will be undertaken by the PWD, which is likely to complete the work in one month from the date of commencement.The 0.55 kilometre railway bridge downstream of ITO bridge is not provided with wire mesh/net and is maintained by Northern Railways. The timeline of March 2024 is fixed for providing wire mesh/net. Additionally, the de-silting of sewer lines below 1000 mm diameter, spanning approximately 442.63 kilometers, is a priority. By the end of December this year, 442.63 kilometers of sewer lines below 1-meter diameter will undergo de-silting, in addition to the ongoing de-silting of 200 kilometers of trunk-peripheral sewer lines.
As of May 2023, 26.08 kilometers of de-silting has already been completed. The HLC continues to monitor and review the progress of the eight specific heads of action aimed at achieving specific targets for the rejuvenation of the Yamuna River.
These include 100% treatment of sewage, trapping of all drains, construction of sewerage networks in unauthorized colonies and JJ clusters, industrial effluent management through CETPs, septage management, restoration and rejuvenation of Yamuna floodplains, utilization of treated wastewater, and the environmental management plan of Najafgarh Jheel. The HLC was also informed that Delhi Jal Board (DJB) has prepared a list of 539 points of faulty inter-connections from storm water drains in the first phase. Out of these 539 storm water drains, 309 are still connected to DJB’s sewerage system.
Out of these 309 drains, Municipal Corporation of Delhi (MCD) accounts for 286, PWD 19, Delhi State Industrial and Infrastructure Development Corporation Ltd. (DSIIDC) accounts for 03. The Committee instructed that Drain Owning Agencies (DOAs) will submit timelines for disconnection of faulty inter-connections during the next meeting of the HLC.
