Delhi to Establish Effluent Treatment Plants in Redevelopment Areas

The Delhi government is poised to launch Common Effluent Treatment Plants (CETPs) in 27 redevelopment areas by the end of the year in an effort to treat sewage and combat pollution in the Yamuna River. Officials have highlighted that untreated sewage from unorganised industrial zones remains a significant challenge.

Despite having 13 CETPs servicing 17 industrial regions and managing 200 million litres of water daily, unauthorized areas are still breaching pollution regulations by evacuating heavy metals into stormwater drains leading to the river. A recent meeting between the central and state authorities underscored this problem, prompting the decision to install industrial waste treatment solutions.

Water activist Varun Gulati criticized the existing CETPs, which were established two decades ago by the Delhi State Industrial and Infrastructure Development Corporation (DSIIDC), for consistently failing to meet treatment standards. The government also initiated a drone survey to identify encroachments on major drainage systems.

(With inputs from agencies.)