Shah launches 43 DJB projects worth Rs 8,941 crore in Delhi

With the Government eyeing an overhaul of the Capital’s water supply and sewage infrastructure, Union Home Minister Amit Shah inaugurated and laid the foundation stones for 43 Delhi Jal Board (DJB) projects worth Rs 8,941.22 crore on Thursday.

These include 10 projects worth Rs 2,827.11 crore that were inaugurated and 33 projects worth Rs 6,114.11 crore for which foundation stones were laid. The inaugurated projects include a new 477 MLD water treatment plant in Chandrawal, a 2 MGD water recycling plant in Bawana and a new 124 MGD sewage treatment plant in Okhla. The existing sewage treatment plants at Rithala and Kondli have also undergone recycling and upgradation.

Speaking at an event, Shah said that for the past 30 years, previous Governments allowed Delhi’s sewage water to be discharged into the Yamuna and dumped 2,000 tonnes of cow dung from dairies into the Yamuna every day.

At one time, Governments of the main Opposition party’s allies ruled Uttar Pradesh and Haryana, and industrial wastewater from Haryana, along with dirty water from Uttar Pradesh, also flowed into the Yamuna. The Home Minister said the Delhi Government has successfully reduced sewer discharge into the Yamuna, and he pledged that the BJP Government would ensure the river is cleaned in Delhi by May 2029.

Delhi Lieutenant Governor TS Sandhu, Chief Minister Rekha Gupta, Delhi BJP president Harsh Malhotra, and several other MPs and Delhi ministers, including Parvesh Verma and Ashish Sood, were present.

Shah accused the previous Congress and AAP Governments in Delhi of allowing sewage and industrial waste into the Yamuna and said the BJP Government has now reduced the discharge.

He said that the Rekha Gupta Government in Delhi, with the help of the Modi Government at the Centre, has cleared 2.17 crore metric tonnes of garbage and freed 100 acres of land from waste. The Garbage Mountains at Okhla and Bhalswa have been reduced by 30 to 40 metres; the one at Ghazipur has come down by 10 to 15 metres.

Shah said the Centre, Delhi, Haryana and Uttar Pradesh were now working together on a time-bound plan to clean the river. “We will come before the people in May 2029 with a clean Yamuna,” he said, adding that a three-year action plan had been drawn up to provide sewer connections to every household and ensure clean water reaches every home. He said the newly launched projects would play a critical role in achieving the target.

Speaking at the occasion, the CM described the inauguration and foundation-laying of projects worth around Rs 9,000 crore to clean and revive the Yamuna as an important step for Delhi. “The focus is on intercepting drains, modernising old Sewage Treatment Plants (STPs), setting up new STPs, laying sewer lines and connecting the sewer network to STPs,” she said. The Government has awarded work for projects to establish 29 decentralised STPs at a cost of around Rs 3,000 crore. These plants have a total proposed treatment capacity of 170 MGD.

The Chief Minister said a 50 MGD water treatment plant in Dwarka is operational. She also referred to work related to the 105 MGD plant in Chandrawal and the 2 MGD recycling plant in Bawana. She said the construction of new Underground reservoirs (UGRs) in Bijwasan, Palla, Siraspur and Rajokri had been completed to improve the water supply system.

Water Minister Verma stated that these projects will bolster the Delhi Government’s efforts to clean the Yamuna. “Through these projects, key initiatives such as the development of water treatment plants, expansion of the sewer network, enhancement of wastewater treatment capacity, and improvement of the drainage system will gain momentum,” Verma said.

The projects for which foundation stones were laid include the recycling and upgradation of eight existing sewage treatment plants, the construction of 29 new small STPs, the laying of sewer lines in various areas and the provision of sewer connections to households. To improve Delhi’s water supply, the Government has completed a new 477 MLD water treatment plant in Chandrawal at a cost of Rs 598.60 crore. It is expected to benefit around 22 lakh people across several areas, including Sadar Bazaar, Chandni Chowk, Matia Mahal, Ballimaran, Karol Bagh, Patel Nagar, Rajendra Nagar and New Delhi. The plant is expected to make water supply more reliable in these areas.