NEW DELHI: A total of 32 untreated drains flowing into Yamuna would be completely intercepted for diverting their sewage ridden flow to nearby Sewage Treatment Plants (STP) for treatment by January 15, which later, will be used for horticultural purposes, officials said on Monday. The officials called the development a major breakthrough in the rejuvenation and restoration project of the Najafgarh Drain, which is the largest drain in Delhi and accounts for around 60 per cent of the wastewater discharged from the city into the Yamuna.
“Interception of these 32 drains would prevent nearly 25% of the total sewage discharge into the Najafgarh drain and thus prove to be a crucial step in developing this drain into a clean water body,” a senior official from Irrigation & Flood Control Department (I&FC) said.
These 32 feeder drains cover a 7.5 km stretch of the Najafgarh drain from Timarpur to Bharat Nagar. The authorities plan to develop a waterway over it for operation of passenger and goods boats/crafts in the coming months, he added.
“The trials will begin for waterway operation of passenger and goods crafts once the stretch is cleaned,” he said further. Besides, officials also said the 2-km stretch of the Najafgarh drain from Timarpur to Mall Road Bridge had been completely cleaned and the works upstream were progressing fast. The officials added that upon completion of the interception of these 32 drains, work would begin for tapping another 18 drains discharging into the Najafgarh drain between Bharat Nagar and Basai Darapur, taking the total number of tapped drains to 50.
Desilting project of Najafgarh drain is also undergoing currently. “Nearly 20,000 MT of silt has been removed from this stretch in over a month’s time,” the official informed. The 57-kilometer long drain has as many as 122 drains discharging sewage that makes it the biggest polluter of Yamuna.