"Yamuna Cleaning Projects Far from Target: Deadlines Extended"

UV INDIA NEWS:  Despite tall claims of making the river pollution-free, it seems that the reality is far from expectations as most of the projects related to cleaning the Yamuna river in Delhi have been delayed. The full completion of these projects has not been achieved, and the targets set for the various areas have been missed, leading to an extension of deadlines. This situation has been highlighted once again in the latest report by the Delhi Pollution Control Committee (DPCC).

 

Highlights:

Only 2% of Delhi's sewage is untreated; however, due to the high population density along the Yamuna's banks, 76% of the river's pollution originates from untreated sewage.

- The ongoing initiatives include enhancing sewage treatment capacity, extracting silt, and other related actions to prevent untreated water from entering the river.

 

Status of Seven Key Projects:

- Sewage Treatment Capacity: Target 964.5 MGD (Million Gallons per Day); Achieved 712 MGD; New Deadline: December 2024.

- Drain Trapping (All Drains): Target 76; Achieved 50; New Deadline: December 2024.

- Sewer Network for Unauthorized Colonies: Target 1,052; Achieved 421; New Deadline: December 2024.

- Sewer Network and Water Reuse for J.J. Clusters: Target 58; Achieved 55; New Deadline: December 2024.

- Treatment and Reuse of Treated Water: Target 118 MGD; Achieved 55 MGD; New Deadline: December 2024.

- Projects on Landfill Sites: Target 1,658.25 hectares; Achieved 586.5 hectares; Final Deadline: December 2024.

- Desilting of Drains: Target 200 km; Achieved 85.38 km; New Deadline: December 2024.

 

Despite defining the scope of these projects and setting clear goals, the DPCC report for July suggests that all projects are lagging behind schedule. The high-level committee formed for Yamuna cleaning has set new timelines to complete these projects by next December, acknowledging that the current progress remains significantly behind the targets.