Delhi water infrastructure is set for a major expansion, with Union Home Minister Amit Shah scheduled to inaugurate and lay the foundation stones for 43 Delhi Jal Board projects worth Rs 8,941.22 crore on October 22, according to Delhi Water Minister Parvesh Sahib Singh. Ten projects valued at Rs 2,827.11 crore will be inaugurated, while the foundation stones for 33 others will be laid.
The projects are aimed at expanding sewage treatment, improving water supply and reducing the flow of untreated sewage into the Yamuna. The announcement follows the Delhi government’s “Chalo Yamuna” campaign, which was conducted a day earlier at 70 locations along the riverbanks. Officials said more than 35,000 people participated in the campaign.
A new 124 million gallons per day sewage treatment plant at Okhla, built at an estimated cost of Rs 1,161 crore, is among the projects scheduled for inauguration. Eight existing sewage treatment plants will also be upgraded at a cost of Rs 1,041 crore. Their combined treatment capacity is expected to increase from 78.2 MGD to 140.8 MGD, benefiting an estimated 78.5 lakh people.
The package also includes 29 decentralised sewage treatment plants and sewage pumping stations in Outer Delhi. The projects, estimated to cost Rs 3,113.67 crore, are expected to cover 358 unauthorised colonies and 113 villages, with a combined population of around 36.29 lakh.
A 1,034-km sewer network, estimated to cost Rs 1,691 crore, is planned to benefit around 25.82 lakh people. The network is part of the government’s stated objective of ensuring that sewage is collected, treated and reused rather than discharged into the Yamuna. “Stopping sewage from reaching the river is the permanent solution,” the Delhi Water Minister said.
The water supply component includes a 477 MLD treatment plant at Chandrawal, costing Rs 298.3 crore. It will replace existing plants built in 1935 and 1955 and is expected to serve around 22 lakh people. A 4.5-km trunk drain at Mundka, estimated to cost Rs 225.02 crore, is also among the works to be unveiled.
The infrastructure announcement came alongside the government’s river-cleaning campaign. Officials said around 76,755 kg of municipal solid waste was removed from locations including Soor Ghat, Signature Bridge, Yamuna Bazar, ITO, Nizamuddin, Sarai Kale Khan and Chilla. The operation involved more than 10 government departments, including the Delhi Jal Board, the Municipal Corporation of Delhi, the Public Works Department, the Irrigation and Flood Control department and the Delhi Disaster Management Authority.
According to officials, the campaign used 26 JCB machines, 19 tractor-trolleys, 24 boats, seven weed harvesters and trash skimmers, and 269 PWD maintenance vans. Around seven tonnes of waste were removed from Usmanpur village and more than 5.6 tonnes from Sonia Vihar.
The Delhi Water Minister described the campaign as the beginning of a longer effort rather than a one-day activity. The next formal milestone is the October 22 launch of the 43 Delhi Jal Board projects, including the Okhla sewage treatment plant, the Chandrawal water treatment plant and the proposed sewage infrastructure for Outer Delhi.
