Delhi will roll out 43 water and sewerage projects worth Rs. 89.41 bn on October 22, as part of a plan to prevent untreated sewage from entering the Yamuna. The package includes sewage treatment plants, sewer network expansion, decentralised treatment facilities and upgrades to water infrastructure.

Ten completed projects worth Rs. 28.27 bn will be inaugurated, while foundation stones will be laid for 33 projects worth Rs. 61.14 bn. The launch will take place in Najafgarh, with Union Home Minister Amit Shah scheduled to inaugurate the works.

The largest component is a new 124 MGD sewage treatment plant at Okhla, costing Rs. 11.61 bn. Eight existing sewage treatment plants will be upgraded at a cost of Rs. 10.41 bn, increasing their combined capacity from 78.2 MGD to 140.8 MGD and benefiting about 785,000 people.

A further Rs. 31.14 bn will fund 29 decentralised sewage treatment plants and pumping stations in outer Delhi. The facilities are intended to serve 358 unauthorised colonies and 113 villages, covering 362,900 residents in areas where large centralised plants cannot be built because of space constraints. The works also include 1,034 km of new sewer network costing Rs. 16.91 bn, a 477 MLD water treatment plant at Chandrawal costing Rs. 2.98 bn and a 4.5-km Mundka trunk drain estimated at Rs. 2.25 bn.

Water Minister Parvesh Sahib Singh said the government’s priority was to stop sewage from reaching the river rather than limit cleaning efforts to its banks. He said the projects were intended to collect, treat and reuse wastewater, with completion targeted within 2.5 years. A recent clean-up campaign led by Chief Minister Rekha Gupta involved more than 35,000 people across 70 locations, who removed 76,755 kg of municipal solid waste. The Chandrawal plant is expected to serve 220,000 people and replace facilities built in 1935 and 1955.