Delhi to Boost Yamuna Flow With Treated Water From Okhla

16 Jun 2025 CW Team

Delhi’s stretch of the Yamuna requires a minimum 23 cumecs of e-flow to sustain ecological health, according to expert committees and parliamentary panels. Currently, it flows at just 10 cumecs. The additional treated water will provide partial relief to heavily polluted areas near Okhla and Kalindi Kunj, officials said.

The Okhla STP, which became fully operational in April 2024, treats 564 million litres per day (MLD) of wastewater. A 2,800 mm pipeline, being laid using micro tunnelling technology, will carry the treated water to the Abul Fazal drain, which discharges downstream of the Okhla barrage. Of the required 225-metre stretch, 100 metres have already been laid along Jasola Road.

Delayed due to clearance issues with the Uttar Pradesh Irrigation Department, the pipeline project is now expected to be completed by end-2025, with discharge to begin by February 2026.

The initiative, a joint effort of the Delhi Jal Board (DJB) and National Mission for Clean Ganga (NMCG), is intended to dilute pollutants, reduce frothing and foul odours, and improve ecological balance in the Yamuna.

However, experts have cautioned that this step alone is not enough. Bhim Singh Rawat, a member of the South Asia Network on Dams, Rivers and People (SANDRP), said, “The Yamuna currently acts like a drain. Cleaner discharge may help, but the real solution lies in stopping raw sewage discharge altogether.”

Rawat also emphasised the importance of strict water quality control and called for a comprehensive policy to use treated water for non-potable purposes across Delhi, ensuring effective use of recycled water and reducing waste.

This move represents a partial but important step in Delhi’s broader efforts to rejuvenate the Yamuna, which remains one of the most polluted rivers in India.

In a bid to improve the Yamuna’s water quality, the Delhi government will release treated wastewater from the Okhla sewage treatment plant (STP) — Asia’s largest — to boost the river’s environmental flow (e-flow). The plan will discharge 5.69 cubic metres per second (cumecs) of treated effluent into the river, aiming to address its critically low flow levels and pollution load.Delhi’s stretch of the Yamuna requires a minimum 23 cumecs of e-flow to sustain ecological health, according to expert committees and parliamentary panels. Currently, it flows at just 10 cumecs. The additional treated water will provide partial relief to heavily polluted areas near Okhla and Kalindi Kunj, officials said.The Okhla STP, which became fully operational in April 2024, treats 564 million litres per day (MLD) of wastewater. A 2,800 mm pipeline, being laid using micro tunnelling technology, will carry the treated water to the Abul Fazal drain, which discharges downstream of the Okhla barrage. Of the required 225-metre stretch, 100 metres have already been laid along Jasola Road.Delayed due to clearance issues with the Uttar Pradesh Irrigation Department, the pipeline project is now expected to be completed by end-2025, with discharge to begin by February 2026.The initiative, a joint effort of the Delhi Jal Board (DJB) and National Mission for Clean Ganga (NMCG), is intended to dilute pollutants, reduce frothing and foul odours, and improve ecological balance in the Yamuna.However, experts have cautioned that this step alone is not enough. Bhim Singh Rawat, a member of the South Asia Network on Dams, Rivers and People (SANDRP), said, “The Yamuna currently acts like a drain. Cleaner discharge may help, but the real solution lies in stopping raw sewage discharge altogether.”Rawat also emphasised the importance of strict water quality control and called for a comprehensive policy to use treated water for non-potable purposes across Delhi, ensuring effective use of recycled water and reducing waste.This move represents a partial but important step in Delhi’s broader efforts to rejuvenate the Yamuna, which remains one of the most polluted rivers in India.

Infrastructure Urban

02 Jun 2026

VECV Sales Rise 7.8 Per Cent In May 2026

VE Commercial Vehicles recorded sales of 7,978 units in May 2026, compared to 7,401 units in May 2025, registering growth of 7.8 per cent. This included 7,789 units from the Eicher brand and 189 units from the Volvo brand.Eicher branded trucks and buses reported sales of 7,789 units during the month, up 7.3 per cent from 7,258 units a year earlier. In the domestic commercial vehicle market, Eicher sales rose 9.1 per cent to 7,375 units from 6,758 units in May 2025.Exports declined 17.2 per cent to 414 units from 500 units in the corresponding month last year. Volvo Trucks and Volvo Buses recor..

Infrastructure Urban

02 Jun 2026

Table Space Strengthens DESYN Leadership Team

Table Space has announced strategic leadership appointments within DESYN, its integrated Design and Build business, as it looks to strengthen operations across key enterprise and GCC markets in India. DESYN was launched as a strategic extension of Table Space’s workspace solutions portfolio to meet rising demand for agile, high-quality and rapidly deployable enterprise workspaces.Shruti Ookabhoy has joined DESYN as Executive Director and will lead the Design vertical, focusing on design capability, operational excellence and team development across markets. She brings over 22 years of experi..

Infrastructure Transport

02 Jun 2026

Concord Associate Bags Rs 2.79 Bn Kavach Order

Concord Control Systems said its associate company, Progota India, has received a Rs 2.79 bn domestic order from Indian Railways for the supply, installation, testing and commissioning of on-board Kavach 4.0 loco equipment.The order is scheduled for execution within 12 months and strengthens Concord’s role in India’s railway safety and signalling ecosystem. Kavach is India’s indigenous automatic train protection system, designed to improve operational safety by helping prevent signal passing at danger and reducing collision risks.Gaurav Lath, Joint Managing Director, Concord Control Syst..