Cleaning of drains falling in Yamuna, construction of STPs must be completed ahead of scheduled timelines: Delhi LG

New Delhi, February 14

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Delhi Lieutenant Governor V K Saxena, who heads a high-level committee on Yamuna cleaning, on Tuesday asked officers to ensure that cleaning of the drains falling in the river, desilting of sewer lines, and construction of sewage treatment plants are completed ahead of scheduled timelines.

The LG reviewed the progress of the work at the second meeting of the panel constituted by the NGT along with the chief secretary and the heads of other stakeholder departments and agencies.

“Reviewed progress of work on decisions taken in the last meeting and asked officers to ensure that targets with regards to cleaning of drains falling in Yamuna, desilting of sewer lines, construction of STPs, management of septage are completed ahead of scheduled time lines,” the LG office tweeted.

“Emphasised that all work should be completed without compromising on quality. Expressed satisfaction at the works so far in the desilting and tapping of in flowing drains in Najafgarh Drain-the main polluter of Yamuna, and asked for such efforts to be replicated in Shahdara Drain,” he said in another tweet.

The 22-kilometre stretch of the river between Wazirabad and Okhla in Delhi, which is less than two per cent of the river length, accounts for around 80 per cent of its pollution load.

Untapped wastewater from unauthorised colonies and jhuggi-jhopri clusters, and poor quality of treated wastewater discharged from STPs and common effluent treatment plants (CETPs) is the main reason behind high levels of pollution in the river.

The river can be considered fit for bathing if biological oxygen demand is less than 3 milligram per litre and dissolved oxygen is greater than 5 milligram per litre.