Centre asks Haryana, UP to push water in Yamuna for clean-up

To reduce pollution levels, the government is also focusing on improving the quality of wastewater entering the river from sewage treatment plants.

It was also decided at the meeting to conduct an external audit of all drains in Haryana, Uttar Pradesh, and Delhi that flow into the Yamuna. Photo | Express

NEW DELHI: In a meeting convened recently on the rejuvenation of the Yamuna, the Centre directed Haryana and Uttar Pradesh to increase environmental flows, trap drains, and curb industrial effluents entering the river. It was also decided at the meeting to conduct an external audit of all drains in Haryana, Uttar Pradesh, and Delhi that flow into the Yamuna.

“Three projects to boost the environmental flow in the upstream of the Yamuna were discussed,” a senior government official said.

One of them involves diverting nearly 800 cusecs of water from the Upper Ganga Canal in Uttar Pradesh to the Wazirabad barrage to increase the environmental flow of the Yamuna. Environmental flow is the minimum flow required to maintain river’s ecological balance.

Another aims to add 100 cusecs of water from the Munak Canal in Haryana directly into the river, the official said.

A third project proposes the construction of an additional water channel from the Hathnikund barrage into the river. Officials said this would help reduce accumulation of silt and waste in the Yamuna.

To reduce pollution levels, the government is also focusing on improving the quality of wastewater entering the river from sewage treatment plants.

“The Jal Shakti Ministry, under the Yamuna rejuvenation plan, is hiring a third-party company to understand the real quality of water coming out from the STPs in the three states,” the official said.

The Delhi government has already launched a Sewerage Improvement Scheme (SIS), a comprehensive master plan to revamp the capital’s sewerage infrastructure.

“After the upgrade work, the STPs will be able to discharge treated water as per the standards set by the government and increase the treatment capacity also,” the official said.

To address pollution from drains in neighbouring Haryana, a 2026 deadline has been set to regulate the outflow of all drains to acceptable norms.

Officials said that to further curb pollution from industrial units in Haryana, directions have also been issued for setting up more common effluent treatment plants.