NGT-appointed committee on Yamuna identifies new thrust areas for rejuvenating river

The NGT-appointed committee on Yamuna has identified new thrust areas, including prevention of dumping of waste from bridges across the river, for the rejuvenation of the water body, Raj Niwas officials said on Sunday.

These have been identified apart from the existing eight action points.

The latest action points evolved on the basis of the experiences till then and were presented to the fourth meeting of the high level committee (HLC) held in April this year for review.

Delinking of sewerage lines and storm water drains developed due to faulty inter-connections, prevention of dumping of waste from bridges across the Yamuna and de-silting of sewer lines below 1,000 mm diameter which run up to approximately 442.63 kilometres in the city, in addition to the 200 km of trunk-peripheral sewer lines which are above 1m diameter, are some of the New Action Plans envisaged.

These will go along with the eight previously identified tasks that the HLC has been monitoring and implementing.

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The New Action Plans were explained during the fifth HLC meeting which took place recently.

Under the delinking of sewerage system and storm water drainage, there will be full capacity utilisation of storm water drainage.

During the fifth meeting, the HLC was informed that the total number of natural storm water drains stands at 210 in Delhi, and the Irrigation and Flood Control Department (I&FCD) was asked to submit an agency-wise list of storm water drains which have got connected to sewer lines.

The HLC was also informed that the Delhi Jal Board (DJB) has prepared a list of 539 points of faulty inter-connections from storm water drains in the first phase. Out of these, 309 storm water drains are still connected to DJB’s sewerage system.

Out of these 309 drains, the Municipal Corporation of Delhi (MCD) accounts for 286 drains, Public Works Department (PWD) 19, and the Delhi State Industrial and Infrastructure Development Corporation Ltd (DSIIDC) accounts for three drains.

The NGT committee instructed that drain owning agencies (DOAs) will submit timelines for disconnection of faulty inter-connections during the next meeting of the HLC.

As part of prevention of dumping of waste from bridges across the Yamuna, 10 bridges will be covered. These bridges are maintained by various agencies looking after the supply of wire mesh/net and adhering to timeline repair of broken wire mesh/net.

These include Wazirabad Barrage Road Bridge, Inter-State Bus Terminus (ISBT) near Kashmere Gate, Old Iron Railway Bridge, Geeta Colony Road Bridge, Signature Road Bridge, ITO Road Bridge, Railway Bridge Downstream of ITO, Nizamuddin Road Bridge, DND Flyway Road Bridge and Okhla Barrage Road Bridge.

As part of de-silting of sewer lines below 1,000 mm diameter, in addition to 200 kms of trunk-peripheral sewer lines, 442.63 kilometres of de-silting of sewer lines below one mm diameter will take place by December. Till May 2023, about 26.08 kilometres of cumulative length of de-silting of drains has already taken place.

The HLC has been reviewing the progress of work and the Action Taken Report (ATR) with regards to directions issued under eight specific heads aimed at specific targets.

These include 100 per cent treatment of sewage, trapping of all drains, construction of sewerage networks in unauthorised colonies and JJ clusters, industrial effluent management through CETPs, septage management, restoration and rejuvenation of Yamuna floodplains, utilization of treated waste water, and environmental management plan of Najafgarh Jheel, officials added.