Rs 4,500 crore approved to check untreated sewage flow into Yamuna

In a bid to check untreated sewage flows into the Yamuna River, the Delhi Jal Board (DJB) has approved projects worth Rs 4,500 crore. The projects include 15 new Decentralised Sewage Treatment Plants (DSTPs), expansion of sewer networks, upgradation of existing sewage treatment plants, sludge management facilities, in-situ treatment of drains, and several others. According to Water Minister Parvesh Sahib Singh, all 15 newly awarded DSTPs will be completed in 21 months.

With these approvals, the BJP will now have 28 Decentralised Sewage Treatment Plants under implementation, including 13 DSTPs approved earlier and 15 newly awarded projects, marking one of the most significant expansions of Delhi’s sewage treatment infrastructure in recent years. The 28 awarded DSTPs are expected to benefit around 20 lakh residents.

Addressing the media after the 179th Delhi Jal Board Meeting, Water Minister and Chairman of the Delhi Jal Board, Parvesh Sahib Singh, said the Government has adopted a comprehensive infrastructure-led approach to restore the Yamuna by addressing the problem at its source. “People often ask when the Yamuna will become clean. The answer lies in building the right infrastructure. Unless every drop of sewage is treated before it reaches our drains and eventually the Yamuna, the river cannot be restored. That is exactly what we are building today.”

Delhi currently generates nearly 1,000 MGD (Million Gallons per Day) of sewage. When the present Government assumed office, the Capital’s sewage treatment capacity stood at only 749 MGD, leaving a substantial treatment gap.

Through the upgradation and rehabilitation of existing Sewage Treatment Plants (STPs), the Delhi Government has already increased this capacity to 814 MGD. With the completion of all 28 DSTPs, Delhi will add another 227 MGD of treatment capacity, taking the city’s total sewage treatment capacity to 1,041 MGD- higher than the current volume of sewage generated every day.

“For the first time, Delhi will have the capacity to treat more sewage than it generates. This is a historic milestone in our mission to clean the Yamuna and a major step towards building a sustainable sewerage system for Delhi.”

The Minister said that while 13 DSTPs had already been approved, the Delhi Jal Board has now awarded 15 additional DSTPs with a combined treatment capacity of 103.5 MGD at an investment of nearly Rs 2,000 crore.

These projects are expected to benefit around 20 lakh residents.

“There are still hundreds of colonies and villages where sewer lines either do not exist or remain incomplete. Without proper sewer connectivity, untreated wastewater ultimately flows into drains and then into the Yamuna. These projects address that problem at its source,” he said.

Explaining the significance of decentralised treatment plants, Singh said DSTPs treat sewage close to where it is generated, reducing dependence on long sewer conveyance systems, improving operational efficiency and ensuring faster treatment.

The newly awarded 15 DSTPs form part of a larger sewer infrastructure programme that also includes the laying of 989 kilometres of new sewer network and providing house sewer connections across 244 colonies and 57 villages. These projects, involving an investment of nearly Rs 1,600 crore, will enable lakhs of households to connect directly to the sewerage network, preventing untreated sewage from entering drains and ultimately the Yamuna.

Existing STPs are being upgraded to increase their treatment capacity from 66 MGD to 86.8 MGD, while a new 35 MGD Sewage Treatment Plant is also being developed at a combined cost of Rs 918 crore. To improve long-term sustainability, the Delhi Jal Board has also approved sludge management facilities at 10 existing STPs located at Coronation Pillar, Keshopur, Rithala, Narela and Rohini. The Rs 274 crore project will ensure scientific treatment, safe disposal and productive utilisation of sludge generated during sewage treatment.

DJB To Trace 30 Lakh “Illegal” Water Connections In 6-Month e-KYC Drive

New Delhi: Delhi Water Minister Parvesh Sahib Singh on Wednesday said that in its bid to reduce revenue loss and strengthen its current billing systems, the Delhi Jal Board plans to trace 30 lakh “illegal” water connections which are currently not paying bills. The DJB has around 30 lakh customers, a figure significantly lower than the actual number of households. The DJB now plans to launch an electronic Know Your Customer (e-KYC) exercise and trace and geo-tag these connections to reduce its non-revenue water (NRW). “The DJB has around 30 lakh customers, while there are around 60 lakh power connections; this means around 30 lakh people are drawing water illegally. There is a need to overhaul the billing system; there are other problems also,” Singh said.

He said several people complain about not receiving bills for years and then suddenly they receive a big amount. “To change this, we plan to hire three companies which will carry out the customer verification exercise in the first phase and complete the E-KYC process in the next six months.

“We have also received several complaints of wrong billing. In the second phase, the companies will also take up the work of meter reading; after the process is done, the DJB will have complete data about all the water connections across the city,” Singh further said. Currently, the DJB reports nearly 50-52 per cent NRW, meaning that more than half of the treated water does not generate revenue either due to leakages, theft or unbilled usage.