Micro sewage treatment plants, dept-wise measures proposed to check froth in river

Following a recommendation from the Delhi government, The Energy and Resources Institute (TERI) has developed a comprehensive strategy to tackle frothing in the Yamuna, which has been a visible sign of the river’s poor water quality for many years.

The study, which is funded by the Delhi government and commissioned to “study of frothing in Yamuna in Delhi”, is to be released in two weeks. It identifies major pollution sources and reasons of frothing, assesses their impact and proposes department-specific recommendations for various departments of the Government of NCT of Delhi.

According to Dr Nupur Bahadur, Director of TERI’s NMCG Centre of Excellence on Water Use, which is established by the Union Ministry of Jal Shakti, the primary contributors to frothing are “untreated sewage from unauthorised colonies and informal settlements, mixed industrial effluents. Besides, open dhobi ghats contribute significantly”.

“Water hyacinth, which releases biosurfactants like saponins, further intensifies froth formation, especially during rainfall, when turbulence mixes these pollutants,” she added.

However, the phenomenon is not unique to Delhi.

Continued on p3