Clean Yamuna plan entering phase 2
MAILI SE NIRMAL YAMUNA The first phase of the project plans to bring down pollution levels in the Najafgarh and Delhi Gate drains. The second phase will tackle Shahdara, Barapullah and other outlets
The second phase of the ‘Maili se Nirmal Yamuna Revitalisation Project 2017’, which aims to bring down pollution levels in the river in Delhi, is expected to take off soon, the National Green Tribunal was informed on Monday.
The Yamuna receives around 74% of its pollution load in its 22-km stretch between Wazirabad and Okhla. Of this, 67% of the pollution emanates from the Najafgarh and Delhi Gate drains. The rest is from the smaller drains.
The first phase of the project aims to bring down pollution levels in the Najafgarh drain and Delhi Gate drains. The second phase will tackle the Shahdara, Barapullah and other drains.
“We appreciate the efforts and direct that the work on phase-I, which has already started, should not be stopped. The action plan for phase-II has been submitted. We direct the stakeholders to submit their responses on the action plan within three weeks,” said a bench headed by NGT chairperson Justice Swatanter Kumar.
The NGT was hearing a petition filed by environmentalist Manoj Misra who argued that the green body should monitor the project.
The NGT was informed that at least 14 sewage treatment plants would be commissioned by May 2019 in phase-I.
These would treat around 67% of the river pollution comes from the two major drains.
The project is running ahead of its schedule, the NGT was informed on Monday.
There are 21 major wastewater drains in NCT-Delhi out of which 18 drains join Yamuna river and 3 join the Agra/Gurgaon canal.
Sources in the Delhi Jal Board said that in phase-II, the government would crack down on polluting industries.
“As most of the smaller drains are located in areas where sewage lines are available, these would be connected to the STPs to bring down pollution in the river. The government also plans to dredge and desilt the drains,” said a senior official of the DJB.
The NGT directed the governments of Haryana, UP, Uttarakhand and Himachal Pradesh to organise a meeting on August 8 to discuss how to tackle pollution in the Yamuna and all its tributaries.
In its earlier hearing, the bench had observed: “Time is not far when the people of Delhi would be able to walk across the banks of the river Yamuna without breathing stinking air. They would not have to fear while entering the river on auspicious occasions or otherwise and the river would become a site of tourism for entire Delhi.”
At present, as part of Yamuna Action Plan III, an initiative under the centre’s ‘Namami Gange’ programme, the rehabilitation and modernisation of STPs of a total of 814 MLD capacity at Okhla, Kondli and Rithala and the construction of a new 136MLD capacity sewage treatment plant at Okhla are already under way.