New Delhi, Apr 17 (PTI) In a significant development to clean the Yamuna river, the Delhi Jal Board (DJB), grappling with a severe financial crunch, has received a much-needed boost with the approval of over Rs 3,000 crore to set up 27 DSTPs across the national capital.

Although the DJB initiated the decentralised sewage treatment plants (DSTP) plan in 2023 with a target of constructing 40 such units, progress had stalled due to the delay in funding approval.  “This is the first major (financial) push we have received,” a DJB official told PTI.

The funds, sanctioned by the Expenditure and Finance Committee headed by Chief Minister Rekha Gupta, will be used to set up 27 DSTPs across the city. Work on these projects has already begun, the official added.

Additionally, the committee has approved the construction of a 10 million gallons per day (MGD) capacity sewage treatment plant (STP) at Delhi Gate.  “DSTPs treat wastewater at the site of origin and are more flexible and sustainable than large, centralised plants that require extensive infrastructure,” the official explained.

Chief Minister Gupta had earlier outlined cleaning the Yamuna River as a key priority, committing Rs 500 crore to set up 40 DSTPs and other related projects, such as procurement of weed harvesters to remove wild growth in the river.

These DSTPs will be set up in JJ clusters, unauthorised colonies and other areas where large-scale infrastructure is unfeasible. Some of the identified locations include Rangpuri, Dera Mandi, Fatehpur Beri, Jafarpur village, Shikarpur village, Jaunti, and Ghewra.

A report prepared by former chief secretary Naresh Kumar last year highlighted the slow pace of land allotment and the DJB’s inability to utilise funds allocated under the Atal Mission for Rejuvenation and Urban Transformation (AMRUT) for 13 planned DSTPs.

At present, Delhi produces approximately 792 MGD of sewage, of which DJB’s 37 operational STPs can treat only about 610 MGD. The remaining untreated sewage often ends up in the Yamuna. DSTPs will help bridge the gap.

However, experts stress the need to improve existing facilities. “Instead of focusing only on new DSTPs, the government should prioritise upgrading the performance of current STPs. Industrial waste, which these plants aren’t designed to treat, continues to be a major problem,” said water activist Varun Gulati.

The newly approved 10 MGD plant at Delhi Gate is also seen as critical. Initially slated for completion by March 2025, work on it is yet to start, another official said.  “This plant will handle sewage from the Walled City and nearby areas that currently flows untreated into the river near the Rajghat power plant,” the official added.

The poor state of sewerage infrastructure was a major election issue during the Delhi Assembly polls held in February. The BJP had blamed the former AAP government for allegedly mis-managing the DJB and turning it into a “den of corruption.” PTI SSM MHS AMJ SSM AMJ AMJ