PTI Toxic foam floating on the surface of the Yamuna river near Okhla Barrage in New Delhi on June 2. Yamuna’s toxic water is a result of dumping of untreated waste into the river.
| Photo Credit: PTI
A key part of the Delhi Jal Board’s (DJB) ambitious plan to nearly double the amount of sewage it can treat in a day is to start 18-20 new sewage treatment plants (STPs) with a total capacity of treating 460 million gallons per day (MGD), an official told The Hindu.Doubling of the sewage treatment capacity is an important element of the government’s plan to clean the Delhi stretch of river Yamuna. In July last year, Union Home Minister Amit Shah chaired a meeting on the river’s rejuvenation and directed the Delhi government to nearly double its sewage treatment capacity to 1,500 MGD by 2028.Despite over three decades of court orders directing the Central and State governments to clean the Yamuna, the Delhi stretch of the river continues to be one of the most-polluted sections.Currently, Delhi has 37 STPs with a total capacity of 814 MGD. The government plans to add another 62 MGD by upgrading the existing STPs. Another 170 MGD will be added by building 29 smaller STPs called decentralised sewage treatment plants (DSTPs) to treat waste mainly from unauthorised colonies. The government has issued work orders for construction of 28 of the 29 DSTPs by private companies following the tendering process.“It took decades to reach the current sewage treatment capacity of 814 MGD, so adding 460 MGD, which is more than half of the current total capacity, in just three years is nothing short of historic,” the officer said.The DJB aims to complete all these projects by December 2028, taking the total capacity to 1,506 MGD.The total cost of building new STPs to add 460 MGD is estimated to be around ₹5,000 crore. “But the actual cost will only be known once the tenders are finalised for the construction of each of the STPs. The exact number of STPs will also be finalised over the next two months,” the official said.These STPs will be built along drains that discharge into the Yamuna. These drains are stormwater drains, which are supposed to carry excess runoff of rainwater, but have over the years become polluted and carry mostly sewage and other waste and are a major source of pollution of the river.Poll promiseCleaning the Yamuna was one of Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s key promises in the run-up to the Delhi Assembly election, which the BJP won after 27 years. The party’s renewed focus on the Yamuna was underscored when Mr. Modi began his victory speech on February 8, 2025, with the chant: “Yamuna Maiya ki Jai.”The Yamuna holds religious significance for the people of Purvanchal, residents of eastern Uttar Pradesh and Bihar, who constitute a significant voter base in Delhi. Many observe Chhath Puja by taking a holy dip in the river.Since the BJP government was formed, the Home Minister has been holding regular review meetings on cleaning the river with a focus on creating more STPs and also increasing the flow of water in the river. Published - September 06, 2026 01:02 am IST
