Delhi Jal Board Gets Rs 3,000 Crore To Build 27 Decentralised Sewage Treatment Plants To Tackle Untreated Waste Flowing Into Yamuna

In a big push for cleaning the Yamuna river, Delhi Jal Board (DJB) has received a crucial infusion of over Rs 3,000 crore for setting up 27 Decentralised Sewage Treatment Plants (DSTPs) across the city, reported PTI.

The long-pending sanction of funds for the DJB has come as a much-needed boost for the agency, which has been grappling with a severe financial crunch.

The funds, approved by the Expenditure and Finance Committee led by Chief Minister Rekha Gupta, is already enabling work to begin at several sites.

The DJB had initially launched its DSTP program in 2023 with a plan to construct 40 plants, but the progress had come to a halt due to funding delays.

“DSTPs treat wastewater at the site of origin and are more flexible and sustainable than large, centralised plants that require extensive infrastructure,” a DJB official was quoted as saying by PTI.

These decentralised units are being installed in JJ clusters, unauthorised colonies, and places where large-scale infrastructure is not possible.

Location includes Rangpuri, Dera Mandi, Fatehpur Beri, Jafarpur, Shikarpur, Jaunti, and Ghewra.

Additionally, a new 10 million gallons per day (MGD) capacity sewage treatment plant at Delhi Gate has also recieved approval. Although work has yet to start, this project is seen as vital.

“This plant will handle sewage from the Walled City and nearby areas that currently flows untreated into the river near the Rajghat power plant,” another official noted.

Chief Minister Gupta had earlier outlined cleaning the Yamuna River as a key priority, committing Rs 500 crore to set up 40 DSTPs and other related projects, such as procurement of weed harvesters to remove wild growth in the river.

As Delhi produces approximately 792 MGD of sewage but treats only 610 MGD, DSTPs are likely to plug the vital treatment gap.

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