Environment Minister Manjinder Singh Sirsa inspects Okhla CETP, reviews efforts to make Yamuna pollution-free
New Delhi, May 25
Delhi Environment, Forest and Wildlife Minister Manjinder Singh Sirsa on Monday inspected the Common Effluent Treatment Plant at Okhla and reviewed the ongoing efforts to make the Yamuna river pollution-free.
According to an official statement, the minister, along with senior officials, reviewed the functioning of the CETP, including Biological Oxygen Demand (BOD) levels, treatment flow capacity and other operational aspects of the facility.
He said that under the leadership of Chief Minister Rekha Gupta, the Delhi government is making serious efforts towards decentralisation of Sewage Treatment Plants (STPs) and CETPs, development of new facilities and modernisation of the existing infrastructure to ensure the flow of clean water into the Yamuna.
Sirsa said that over the past 25 years, previous governments had only made promises regarding the upgradation of CETPs, but no substantial work was carried out on the ground. He said the present government is focusing on strengthening monitoring mechanisms and ensuring efficient operation of the treatment systems so that only fully treated and clean water is discharged into the Yamuna.
He said the Okhla CETPs have a combined treatment capacity of more than 24 MLD of sewage per day.
The minister said the National Environmental Engineering Research Institute is conducting a detailed technical survey aimed at upgrading the technology of these systems and enhancing their efficiency. He said the real rejuvenation of the Yamuna would be possible only when STPs and CETPs function efficiently at their full capacity.
He said industrial waste is one of the major contributors to pollution in the Yamuna and CETPs play a crucial role in preventing such pollutants from entering the river. Stressing the urgent need for technological modernisation, he said many CETPs are still operating on technologies that are nearly 20 to 25 years old and require regular upgrades to remain effective and relevant.
According to the statement, the Delhi government has approved projects worth more than Rs 1,000 crore under its larger Yamuna rejuvenation initiative. These include construction of 12 new STPs, upgradation of the Keshopur STP, revival of the trunk sewer network and large-scale rainwater harvesting initiatives aimed at strengthening Delhi's water management and sewage treatment infrastructure.
— ANI
Reader Comments
All this talk about CETPs and STPs but what about the industrial units dumping untreated waste directly into drains? I live near Okhla and the smell is unbearable during summers. Need strict enforcement of pollution norms against industries, not just treating water after it's already polluted.
Interesting to see a state government taking Yamuna pollution seriously. As someone who works in environmental consulting, decentralizing STPs is actually a smart move. The 20-25 year old tech mentioned is a real issue - we need modern membrane bioreactors and real-time monitoring. Hope NEERI's survey leads to actual upgrades.
The statement about previous 25 years of just promises is spot on. Every government has talked about Yamuna cleaning but the river remains a drain. However, I'm cautiously optimistic - the rainwater harvesting initiatives are a good sign because we need to address water quantity as well as quality. Jal hi jeevan hai. 💧
Respect to the minister for bringing in NEERI for a technical survey. Data-driven approach is crucial. But let's be honest - 24 MLD treatment capacity for Okhla CETPs seems inadequate for the massive volume of sewage Delhi generates daily. Need to scale up capacity massively alongside upgrades.
I remember similar announcements in 2015, 2018, 2021... abhi bhi Yamuna me jhaag aati hai. The difference this time is the focus on monitoring and modern tech. But why no mention of stopping untreated sewage from unauthorised colonies? That's a huge source of pollution. Let's hope action follows words. 🤞