Over 80 per cent of the pollution in the Yamuna river is caused by the drains in the national Capital out of which the ones at Najafgarh and Shahdara are the biggest contributors, states the “environment” chapter of the Master Plan for Delhi (MPD) 2021, which was approved last month by the Delhi Development Authority (DDA).
The master plan while slamming concerned authorities for turning Delhi into the biggest contributor of pollutants to the river has given an eight-point action plan to rescue the dying river. The recommendations include refurbishment of three major trunk sewers and ensuring treatment of the two drains, among others.
Out of about 7,200 km of Delhi’s total sewerage network under the Delhi Jal Board (DJB), the city has only about 130 km of trunk sewerage system. Describing the poor existing infrastructure of Delhi’s sewage
system, the master plan further states that “nearly 91 km of sewer lines are in highly dilapidated condition and have been
silted to the extent of 50 per cent-70 per cent at different stretches.”
The recommendations in the chapter includes ensuring minimum flow in the Yamuna by the riparian States by releasing adequate water, besides, rehabilitating three major trunk sewers — Ring Road trunk sewer, Bela Road trunk sewer and West Delhi trunk sewer, under the Yamuna Action Plan (III). It also talks of controlling flows in the Najafgarh and Shahdara drains, which are the biggest pollutants of the river.
The Pioneer tracked down the status of these projects of the DJB and found that the water utility has, so far, completed desilting/rehabilitation of 100 km of peripheral and trunk sewers. The rehabilitation of 11.41 km of trunk sewer is being taken up. Besides, trial runs on the mega sewer interceptor project have begun. At present the city is already treating 360 MGD (million gallons per day) of sewage and after completion of all the six phases of the project, the interceptors will increase that by another 200 MGD.
More than a decade on the three Yamuna Action Plans (YAP) and over Rs2,000 crore later, the state of the Yamuna remains unchanged with the national Capital despite having only 48 km of the river, continuing to be the biggest contributor of pollutants among the other riparian States (Haryana and Uttar Pradesh). A total of 22 drains discharge treated and untreated water into the river out of which six major drains contribute around 90 per cent of the total flow.
“The biggest problem is that the treatment of sewerage has not been brought to the expected standards. The Najafgarh drain, Supplementary drain, Shahdara drain, the drain near Sarita Vihar, Maharani Bagh drain, Barapullah drain and the Sen Nursing Home drain contribute almost 90 per cent of the flow and 80 per cent BOD
(biochemical oxygen demand) load levels respectively. This is why a decentralised waste water treatment system and refurbishing the trunk sewers assume prime significance,” said a member of the MPD-2021 committee.
A trunk sewer carries the collected
sewerage in bulk to different sewage treatment plants (STPs).
“Slum clusters which have come up illegally on the river bank are one of the contributing factors to the flow of untreated sewage into the Yamuna. Among other recommendations include treating industrial effluent and utilising it. It also suggests the removal of coliform at STPs,” the MPD states.