NEW DELHI: In November last year, chief minister Arvind Kejriwal pledged to clean up the Yamuna by February 2025 and take a bath in the river. Since then, a few steps were taken in this direction, including allocation in the state budget for funds to restore the Najafgarh drain to its original status as the Sahibi river. However, daunting challenges remain, including high effluent load and low river water flow.
The city generates 3,491.4 million litres per day of sewage, but the sewage treatment plants only treat 2,477 MLD of this. A Delhi Pollution Control Committee report says that of the 30,000 plus industrial units in Delhi, 1,334 are water-polluting industrial units. But only discharge from 1,091 units are treated by 13 common effluent treatment plants. In addition, DPCC says of the 18 major drains in Delhi, five are untapped and flow directly into the Yamuna.
Not surprisingly, the condition of the river is almost the same as it was a few years ago.
