Delhi Jal Board to expand wastewater treatment capacity by 57%

The Delhi Jal Board (DJB) has announced that the wastewater treatment capacity would be expanded by 57% (326 million gallons a day) by June 2023. The two main reasons behind the high pollution of the Yamuna river are the untapped wastewater from unauthorised colonies and poorly treated wastewater discharged from Wastewater Treatment Plants (WWTPs). The 35 sewage treatment plants operating at 20 locations across Delhi can treat up to 577 MGD of sewage and have been using nearly 90% (514 MGD) of their capacity. Currently, Delhi produces around 744 million gallons of sewage a day, and the DJB supplies 930 MGD of water to the city. The upcoming 33 decentralised STPs at different locations and 14 STPs would enable the Najafgarh drainage zone to treat 92 MGD of wastewater. The up-gradation and enlargement of the current STPs at Yamuna Vihar, Rohini, Narela, Pappan Kalan, Nilothi, Najafgarh, Keshopur, and Coronation Pillar would increase the treatment capacity by 87 MGD by 2023. Overall, by June 2023, the DJB would be able to treat 903 MGD of wastewater, which would be 56.49% more than the existing treatment capacity. At a review meeting headed by Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal, DJB officials informed that the rehabilitation and building of new STPs would expand the wastewater treatment capacity by 326 MGD by June 2023. The DJB data showed that the existing STPs rehabilitation in Delhi Gate, Sonia Vihar, Okhla, Kondli, and Rithala would increase sewage treatment capacity by 147 MGD by June 2023. Image Source