Clean Yamuna Campaign gains momentum as YAP-III Projects near completion
Three mega Wastewater Treatment Plants (WWTP) at Okhla, Kondli and Rithala about to complete
Okhla, Kondli & Rithala wastewater treatment plants (WWTPs) projects are 96% 98% and 100% complete respectively
Delhi’s Wastewater problem to recede soon as Okhla, Kondli & Rithala WWTPs near completion
New Delhi, August 30, 2024
The quest for a clean Yamuna is gaining momentum as the three large wastewater treatment projects (WWTP) being developed by Delhi Jal Board under the Yamuna Action Plan-III are nearing completion. These three mega WWTPs in Okhla, Kondli and Rithala are already in advanced stages.
Okhla WWTP: State of the art infrastructure to make Yamuna clean
Delhi Jal Board is upgrading and rehabilitating four phases of Okhla WWTP under the ongoing project. The massive project has a capacity of 564 MLD. The Okhla WWTP will treat wastewater in accordance with effluent standards of BOD – 10 mg/l, TSS – 10 mg/l, or better. Currently the project is 96% complete and will soon be fully operational. Okhla WWTP is Asia’s largest and world’s fourth largest WWTP which is being constructed to make the Yamuna River clean. The project will serve the large parts of Delhi including the South-Delhi area; treating the emanating wastewater. About 56.4 crore liters or 564-MLD wastewater channelized from sewer networks will be treated or cleaned daily at this plant. It will benefit around 40 lakh residents of the national capital. The rehabilitation and upgradation work of Okhla WWTP began on June 19, 2019.
At Okhla, for the first time in Delhi, UV technology has been employed in a WWTP ever to clean wastewater. This technique is commonly used in RO plants with a purpose of making the water potable/drinkable. Also, Okhla WWTP has also been developed with a unique design. The tank of the primary sedimentation unit of the WWTP has been designed in a rectangular shape instead of a circular one. Also, Lamila Filter has been used in this section of the plant. Due to these changes, the time taken for the treatment of wastewater will be reduced to half and this unit has also been developed in a very small space.
Kondli – Catering East Delhi
Kondli: The WWTP project being developed in Kondli is of a capacity of approximately 214 MLD. The project is about 98% complete. It is being developed with effluent standards of BOD -10 mg/l, TSS – 10 mg/l or better under YAP-III with the objective of removing pollutants entering the waters of Yamuna in Delhi through wastewater.
The project will cater the large area of East Delhi including Shahdara area and disallow any outfall of wastewater into Yamuna without treatment.
Rithala – No untreated wastewater to go in drains
The Rithala Rehabilitation and Up-gradation project involves the development of 182-MLD capacity Wastewater Treatment Plant with effluent standards of BOD-10 mg/l, TSS – 10 mg/l or better. This project will cater to the large parts of North & North-West Delhi disallowing any sewage to enter the Najafgarh Drain or Yamuna untreated. This project is complete and already under the phase of trial run and commissioning.
Although the WWTP projects faced challenges like delays in clearances, EPCA bans and Covid led restrictions, the concerted efforts has brought these mega WWTP projects to near completion. Many of the sewage treatment plants (STPs) in these projects are already functional and treating the wastewaters of Delhi.
The objective of the three big sized WWTPs is to ensure that the wastewater emanating from the households & industries of Delhi do not out-fall into the Yamuna River untreated. With the proper cleaning of wastewater, its re-use and release into the Yamuna River will not just axe pollution from the holy river but also help maintain the healthy ecological flow necessary to support aquatic life. The health of Yamuna is important to ensure the overall health of Delhi’s environment. All three projects are nearing completion and will be fully commissioned & operational very soon.
