Amit Shah flags off 19 new DJB projects that will reduce pollution load in Yamuna

New Delhi, Oct 9 (PTI) Union Home Minister Amit Shah on Thursday inaugurated 19 water and sewerage projects of the Delhi Jal Board, giving an impetus to the ambitious Yamuna rejuvenation project.

These projects mainly involve upgradation of existing Sewage Treatment Plants (STP) and laying of new sewer lines under the 'Sewa Pakhwada' events at a cost of Rs 1,816 crore.

These will significantly enhance Delhi Jal Board's overall sewage treatment capacity, while earlier the waste water was entering Yamuna untreated, officials said.

The main inauguration event took place at Keshopur STP, where the DJB is augmenting two of its existing plants at a cost of Rs 504.12 crore. Shah digitally launched the other projects from there.

These plants entail the full sewage load of West Delhi, catering to approximately 25 lakh households, officials said. "Currently, the Delhi Jal Board has a sewage treatment capacity of around 700 Million Gallons per Day (MGD) from all the 37 existing STPs. The government plans to increase this to 1,400 MGD," Delhi Minister for Water Parvesh Verma said.

A total of eight STPs are being upgraded by the Delhi Jal Board at a cost of Rs 1,416.49 crore. These include the Narela STP, whose capacity has been enhanced from 10 MGD to 15 MGD; Coronation Pillar Phase-3, a 10 MGD plant where the treated water output has been improved; Rohini STP, whose capacity has been upgraded from 15 MGD to 25 MGD, along with Keshopur Phase 2 and 3, Kondli Phase 4, Rohini STP, Coronation Phase 1 and 2, and Najafgarh STP, officials said.

In addition, eight projects worth Rs 301.1 crore have been launched under the Central government's Atal Mission for Rejuvenation and Urban Transformation (AMRUT) scheme.

These include the laying of new sewer lines in Karawal Nagar, Hassanpur, Tajpur Khurd and Yamuna Vihar areas, and connecting houses to existing sewer networks in Ranhaula, Gokulpur, Vikaspuri and Kamruddin Nagar.

"Together, these projects will significantly enhance Delhi's ability to ensure clean drinking water, efficient sewage treatment and improved sanitation for lakhs of residents," Verma said.

Shah also digitally inaugurated three new underground reservoirs in Palla, Siraspur and Bijwasan, constructed at the cost of Rs 99.1 crore. PTI SSM SSM RUK RUK