Delhi govt invites private sector to financially support Yamuna cleaning efforts

New Delhi, May 16 (PTI) The Delhi government is planning to collect funds through the corporate social responsibility (CSR) initiative to support its mission to rejuvenate the deteriorated ecological health of the Yamuna River, officials said on Friday.

The Delhi Jal Board (DJB) has invited private companies to sponsor the modular sewage treatment plants (STPs) to be installed along the major open drains having an outfall into the river According to the officials, instead of traditional STPs, which require large space and investment, modular and decentralised STPs will be installed on the drains, in which the companies can invest and get a chance at branding.

"The DJB seeks commitment from the corporate entities to partner in the installation of such STPs over the identified open drains as per need.

“The corporate entities would commit to contributing a particular amount for such installations. They will make the payments directly to the supplier after the installation of the plants," the rules drafted by the DJB said.

Currently, the DJB has 37 STPs, which are largely operated and maintained by private companies, whom the government pays as per the contract. Under the new scheme, the companies will choose a vendor to install a plant and directly pay them.

"Modular STPs are smaller in size and can be arranged in parts along a drain outfall or the length of the drain that is polluting the river. As part of the government's mission to restore Yamuna, a key priority is the effective and accelerated treatment of sewage and wastewater flowing into the river through open drains," a DJB official said.

For the past few years, the DJB has been working on the Interceptor Sewer Project, which entails trapping all the drains and diverting the wastewater flowing into them to the nearby STP.

However, there are some drains where trapping is not possible, such as the Najafgarh drain; here, the government is carrying out desilting work, but treatment of waste in the drains will be done for a long-term solution.

Several sub-drains are carrying untreated wastewater, adding to the large drains, and work is ongoing to clean these, the officials said.

"The benefit for the sponsors will be opportunities for branding by way of signage; the CSR contribution towards this initiative will not only align with the national environmental agenda, but also significantly enhance a company's ESG and sustainability footprint," a tender floated recently by the DJB, inviting companies, said.

As per the plan, these interventions will be strategically deployed along the critical drains and locations directly impacting Yamuna's water quality.

"The concerned corporate entity would choose a suitable vendor whose product has the capability of treating wastewater at least to the standards prescribed by the Central Pollution Control Board. The DJB will supervise the installation process and make sure that land is available for such installations," the officials said.

Post installation, the DJB would take over the responsibility of operation and maintenance of these plants. PTI SSM ARI