Delhi Jal Board Secures ₹3,000 Crore for 27 Decentralized Sewage Treatment Plants.

In a major step towards cleaning the Yamuna River, the Delhi Jal Board (DJB) has received over ₹3,000 crore for the establishment of 27 Decentralized Sewage Treatment Plants (DSTPs) across the national capital. The funds, approved by the Expenditure and Finance Committee chaired by Chief Minister Rekha Gupta, mark a crucial financial boost for the DJB, which had faced significant delays due to funding constraints.

The DJB had initially launched its plan for decentralized sewage treatment in 2023, aiming to set up 40 DSTPs. However, progress was slow due to delayed approvals. “This is the first major financial push we have received,” a DJB official told PTI.

Work on the 27 DSTPs has already commenced, and the committee has also approved the construction of a 10 million gallons per day (MGD) capacity sewage treatment plant at Delhi Gate.

DSTPs, which treat wastewater at the point of origin, are considered more flexible and sustainable than traditional centralized plants, which require extensive infrastructure. These plants will be set up in areas where large-scale infrastructure is unfeasible, such as JJ clusters, unauthorized colonies, and other densely populated regions. Some identified locations include Rangpuri, Dera Mandi, Fatehpur Beri, Jafarpur village, Shikarpur village, Jaunti, and Ghewra.

Chief Minister Gupta had earlier highlighted cleaning the Yamuna as a key priority for her government, committing ₹500 crore for 40 DSTPs and related projects, including the procurement of weed harvesters to remove wild growth from the river.

Currently, Delhi generates around 792 MGD of sewage, but DJB’s 37 operational STPs can only treat approximately 610 MGD. The untreated sewage often flows into the Yamuna. The new DSTPs are expected to bridge this gap.

However, experts urge the government to also focus on upgrading existing facilities. “Instead of concentrating solely on new DSTPs, the government should prioritize enhancing the performance of current STPs. Industrial waste, which these plants aren’t designed to treat, remains a significant issue,” said water activist Varun Gulati.

ET