New Delhi, July 11 (IANS) Union Home Minister Amit Shah on Friday stressed on a roadmap for more than doubling Delhi’s sewage treatment plant (STP) capacity to 1,500 MGD by 2028 to prevent untreated waste from falling into the Yamuna.

The city’s current installed sewage treatment capacity is around 700 million gallons per day (MGD).

Chairing a meeting on cleaning the Yamuna, HM Shah said that all three states, Haryana, Delhi and Uttar Pradesh, should make efforts for Yamuna’s rejuvenation, and there should be regularity and transparency in testing of the water flowing out of their STPs.

He emphasised on third-party quality testing of STP outflow.

The Home Minister said that the Delhi Pollution Control Committee (DPCC) should work in action mode to control water pollution, and the Delhi government should take continuous and effective steps to stop the increasing pollution from industrial units.

HM Shah said that apart from Delhi, chemical waste was also flowing into the Yamuna from other states, so all these states should work together to clean the river.

He emphasised working on an action mode to improve the Biochemical Oxygen Demand (BOD) in the main drains of Najafgarh and Shahdara.

He also stressed conducting a drone survey of Delhi’s two main drains, Najafgarh and Shahdara drains.

HM Shah said that apart from the efforts being made by the Delhi government to clean the rivers, there is a need to increase the budget of the National Mission for Clean Ganga (NMCG).

He said that there are many reservoirs in Delhi in which the Delhi government should make arrangements to collect rainwater. “Developing these reservoirs will also promote tourism,” he said.

The Union Home Minister said that the Delhi government should work in collaboration with the National Dairy Development Board (NDDB) to manage the waste produced by dairies and cow shelters.

He also stressed managing the unauthorised dairies in the national capital.

HM Shah laid special emphasis on increasing the e-flow in the Yamuna and said that there is a need to talk to the Uttar Pradesh government on this issue and find a solution so that the flow of Yamuna can be improved at the time of its entry into Delhi.

He said that the treated water of Okhla STP should be released downstream of Yamuna, which will help in improving the quality of the river water.

The meeting was attended by Union Housing and Urban Affairs Minister Manohar Lal, Union Jal Shakti Minister C.R. Patil, Delhi Chief Minister Rekha Gupta, Delhi Water Minister Parvesh Verma, the Union Home Secretary, Secretaries and senior officials of the central ministries and the Delhi Government.

–IANS

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