Sirsa inspects Okhla CETPs, reviews measures to curb Yamuna pollution

Delhi Environment Minister Manjinder Singh Sirsa on Monday inspected the Common Effluent Treatment Plants (CETPs) in Okhla and reviewed measures being implemented by the Delhi government to curb industrial pollutants flowing into the Yamuna river.

During the inspection, he reviewed the functioning of the CETPs, including Biological Oxygen Demand (BOD) levels, treatment flow capacities and overall operational efficiency of the facilities, officials said.

Sirsa said the government is working on decentralising sewage treatment plants (STPs) and CETPs, constructing new facilities where required and upgrading existing infrastructure to ensure cleaner discharge into the Yamuna.

''A massive and comprehensive effort is underway to ensure clean water flows into the Yamuna,'' Sirsa said.

''Industrial waste is a major contributor to the pollution of the Yamuna, and CETPs are the critical facilities where this pollution can be intercepted before it enters the river,'' he added.

The minister said the Okhla CETPs have a combined treatment capacity of more than 24 million litres per day (MLD).

He also said the National Environmental Engineering Research Institute (NEERI) is conducting a detailed survey, with the aim of upgrading the technology and enhancing the overall efficacy of these systems.

''It is only when the CETPs function correctly and efficiently that River Yamuna will truly receive a new lease of life,'' he said.

Highlighting the urgent need for technological modernisation, Sirsa said that many CETPs currently operate on technology that is nearly 20 to 25 years old. He noted that in today's rapidly evolving world, technologies require upgrades every few years to remain effective and relevant.

Targeting previous governments, the minister alleged that promises regarding CETP modernisation remained unfulfilled for decades.

''Over the past 25 years, previous governments made numerous promises regarding the upgradation of CETPs, yet no substantive work was ever executed on the ground,'' he said.

According to the Delhi government, projects worth more than Rs 1,000 crore have been sanctioned under the larger Yamuna rejuvenation initiative.

These include the construction of 12 new sewage treatment plants, upgradation of the Keshopur STP, rehabilitation of trunk sewer networks and rainwater harvesting projects aimed at strengthening Delhi's sewage treatment and water management infrastructure.

(This story has not been edited by Devdiscourse staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)