DJB to begin work on scheme to drastically reduce Yamuna Pollution

New Delhi, May 10 (UNI) An innovative plan to clean the Yamuna river, envisaging drastic reduction of pollution levels on its 22 km stretch from Wazirabad to Okhla, which accounts for a major proportion of the pollution load from various drains emptying in the river, has been unveiled by the Delhi Jal Board.

The plan, which has recieved endorsement from an expert committee constituted by the Supreme Court to tackle pollution of the river Yamuna, is based on the concept of interceptor sewers where the sewage emenating from smaller drains into three major drains in Nazafgarh, supplementary and Shahdara will be intercepted before it enters the bigger drains.

''From these interceptor sewers, the sewage will be conveyed to the nearest sewage treatment plants where they will be treated before flowing into the big drains,''DJB CEO Arun Mathur told reporters here at a press meet here last evening.

Mr Mathur said the DJB scheme, which was expected to be complete before the 2010 Commonwealth Games, would bring about a nearly 80 per cent reduction in pollution levels in the Yamuna.

''If the support of all stakeholders, namely the MCD, the Irrigation depaertment and others, is forthcoming then we are hopeful of reducing pollution levels by as much as 80 per cent by 2010, the year when the Commonwealth games are to be held in Delhi,''he said Mr Mathur said the plan drawn up by the Delhi Jal Board also envisaged trapping of sewage from the remaining 13 drains, flowing into the Yamuna, in the Bela road and Ring road sewers from where they would be directed to the sewage treatment plants there.

Besides, the proposal also provides for augmenting the two already existing STPs at Delhi gate and Dr Sen Nursing home drain to the desired level to equip them to treat sewage flowing from the two drains.

Mr Mathur said untreated waste water from approximately 1500 unauthorised colonies and 1080 slum and JJ clusters in Delhi accounted for a large part of pollution load entering through the small drains into the big drains and finally the river Yamuna.

''No meaningful result can be acheived in reducing pollution in the 22 km stretch of the Yamuna from Wazirabad to the Okhla Barrage unless action is initiated to put appropriate sewerage system in all unsewered areas, particularly the unauthorised colonies,''Mr Mathur said.

He said attempt was to evolve a complete solution to the pollution of the river Yamuna.

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