The Delhi Pollution Control Committee (DPCC) is exploring various possibilities to revamp the existing Common Effluent Treatment Plants (CETP) managed by the CETP Societies in industrial estates across Delhi to treat industrial effluents. Sanjiv Kumar, chairman of DPCC, outlined the requirement of preparing and working on a Master Plan to upgrade/revamp the existing treatment plants, to address the burning issue of effectively controlling pollution in the river Yamuna in Delhi.
DPCC has organised a workshop right on the CETP premises at Mayapuri Industrial area, to bring all the stakeholders in the field of treatment of industrial waste to demonstrate innovative and financial sustainable solution for CETPs for wastewater treatment. The 13 CETPs, which were built by DSIIDC in 1990s as per the designs finalised by NEERI, have been running below capacity due to several factors. One of the main reasons is that the number of polluting units discharging effluents has come down over the years and further the nature of effluents has changed from industrial wastewater to domestic waste, which can be treated by STPs instead of CETPs at a much lower cost. In addition there were other issues like inadequate design and operational inadequacies resulting in non-compliance of environmental standards. Hence, Master Plan for an upgraded/modernised network of CETPs will be evolved taking into consideration the current design parameters, data on current performance levels and the other issues like funding and sharing of project cost, utilisation of treated water and sludge etc.