Chief Minister Rekha Gupta announced on Tuesday a Rs 1,500 crore plan to clean the Yamuna River and improve Delhi's sewage infrastructure. This initiative aims to rejuvenate the river.
The plan involves constructing 40 decentralised sewage treatment plants, modernising existing STPs, and investing in advanced machinery to address waste and pollution.
To prevent untreated sewage from entering the Yamuna, the Delhi government will build 40 decentralised STPs at a cost of Rs 500 crore. These plants will treat wastewater at the source before it reaches major drains, reducing river pollution. The government will also upgrade existing STPs to increase their capacity.
"The Yamuna is not just a river; it is our cultural and historical heritage. Cleaning Yamuna is an important part of our manifesto and remains a top priority in this budget," CM Gupta stated during her budget speech.
The government has allocated Rs 500 crore for repairing and developing STPs, Rs 250 crore for replacing old sewer lines, and another Rs 250 crore for improving water treatment plants across Delhi.
To enhance sewage management, Rs 20 crore will be spent on purchasing super sucker and dicky machines for efficient sludge and blockage removal. An additional Rs 10 crore has been allocated for the renovation of the Wazirabad trunk sewer.
To stop the direct flow of untreated wastewater into the Yamuna, Rs 250 crore has been allocated for a drain-tapping project to divert and treat wastewater from major drains. The Najafgarh Drain will receive a Rs 200 crore investment for conversion and interception.
Furthermore, Rs 40 crore will be used to procure modern equipment like trash skimmers, weed harvesters, and dredge utility machines for river cleaning.
Highlighting the scale of the challenge, the Delhi government has requested Rs 2,000 crore in financial assistance from the Centre to upgrade the capital's water and sewage infrastructure to international standards.
"Our commitment to cleaning the Yamuna is unwavering. This is not just a budgetary announcement but a promise to the people of Delhi," CM Gupta asserted.
High pollution levels in the 57-km stretch of the Yamuna in Delhi were a bone of contention between the AAP and the BJP in the Delhi assembly elections concluded last month. Prime Minister Narendra Modi had also announced during the campaigning for the polls as well as after the BJP winning the elections that cleaning the Yamuna will be the saffron party's top-most priority.
This Budget is the first presented by a BJP-led government in Delhi in over 26 years, following the party's victory over the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) in last month's assembly elections.
(With Inputs From PTI)
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