Delhi Minister Parvesh Sahib Singh also said that the government had approved a project to revive and restore the Wazirabad Pondage Area to enhance raw water storage.

| Photo Credit: SUSHIL KUMAR VERMA

The Delhi Jal Board (DJB) has approved Yamuna rejuvenation projects worth nearly ₹4,500 crore, including 15 new decentralised sewage treatment plants (DSTPs), expansion of sewer networks, upgradation of existing STPs and sludge management facilities, Water Minister Parvesh Sahib Singh said on Wednesday.“People often ask when the Yamuna will become clean. The answer lies in building the right infrastructure. When the present government assumed office, the sewage treatment capacity stood at only 749 million gallons per day (MGD), leaving a substantial treatment gap. Now, we plan to increase it to 1,041 MGD,” Mr. Singh said.“Following these approvals, Delhi will have 28 DSTPs under implementation, comprising 13 approved earlier and 15 newly awarded projects,” he added.The Minister also said that the government had approved a project to revive and restore the Wazirabad Pondage Area to enhance raw water storage.“This would increase the holding capacity of the pond area from one day to two-three days. The government will also install 250 water ATMs at an estimated cost of ₹58 crore,” he added.In July last year, Union Home Minister Amit Shah chaired a meeting on the rejuvenation of the Yamuna and directed the Delhi government to nearly double its sewage treatment capacity to 1,500 MGD by 2028.DSTPs are considered crucial to cleaning the Yamuna as they are expected to treat sewage generated in several unauthorised colonies that currently flows into the river due to the absence of sewer networks.Through DSTPs, the government plans to treat sewage close to the source of generation, the Minister said.Currently, Delhi’s 37 larger STPs are located in distant parts of the city and require sewage to be transported through extensive sewer networks and pipelines for treatment. DSTPs, in contrast, will be built on smaller parcels of land and linked to clusters of nearby unauthorised colonies, reducing the need to transport sewage over long distances, an official said. Published - July 30, 2026 01:02 am IST