New Sewage Treatment Plant at Delhi Gate Expected to Be Completed by March.

The Delhi Jal Board (DJB) has set a target to complete a new sewage treatment plant (STP) at Delhi Gate by March 2025. This facility, with a capacity to treat 10 million gallons per day (MGD), is designed to address the sewage outfall from the Walled City and surrounding areas, which currently flow untreated into the Yamuna River behind the Rajghat power plant.

The project, approved in 2019, aims to prevent untreated sewage from contaminating the river. Although construction began shortly after approval, work was delayed earlier this year due to land allotment issues with the Delhi Development Authority (DDA). These issues have since been resolved, allowing the project to move forward.

The STP will focus on treating the sewage in the Delhi Gate drain before it reaches the Yamuna. While the Delhi Jal Board has not officially commented on any changes to the deadline, previous delays have been attributed to financial constraints and construction bans that impacted the progress of similar projects.

The plant is a crucial part of the Yamuna Cleaning Action Plan, which was introduced during former Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal’s tenure. The plan’s primary objectives include upgrading existing STPs, connecting every household to the sewage network, and implementing in-situ treatment for untreated water. The aim is to clean the Yamuna River by 2025, a key promise made during the 2020 assembly elections.

Despite the operation of 40 sewage treatment plants across the city, there remains a significant gap between the sewage generated and treated, with much of the untreated waste still entering the Yamuna. To address this, 18 STPs are currently being upgraded. Once completed, including the Delhi Gate Phase 3 plant, the Delhi Jal Board will be capable of processing the full 792 million gallons per day of sewage generated by the city.

BS