New Delhi, Jan 22 : Chief Minister Rekha Gupta on Wednesday directed the implementation of a mission mode action plan aimed at restoring the Yamuna river, setting ambitious targets to halt the discharge of untreated sewage and significantly expand the capital’s sewage treatment capacity by 2028.
The directions were issued during a high level review meeting at the Delhi Secretariat attended by Minister for Irrigation and Flood Control Pravesh Sahib Singh and senior officials from the Delhi Jal Board (DJB), Municipal Corporation of Delhi (MCD), Public Works Department (PWD), Delhi Pollution Control Committee (DPCC), Delhi Development Authority (DDA) and other agencies. The meeting reviewed progress on sewage treatment, drain cleaning, sewer connectivity and inter departmental coordination for Yamuna rejuvenation.
Calling the Yamuna the lifeline of Delhi, the Chief Minister said the government was adopting scientific planning, fixed timelines and close coordination with neighbouring states to clean the river. She noted that while the current sewage treatment capacity meets present requirements, it is inadequate for future needs given rapid urban growth.
Sewage treatment capacity to nearly double
Officials informed the meeting that Delhi currently has 37 sewage treatment plants with a combined capacity of 814 million gallons per day (MGD). Under the action plan, an additional 56 MGD will be added by upgrading existing facilities by December 2027.
A further 170 MGD will be created through 35 new decentralised sewage treatment plants, while large plants near major drains will add another 460 MGD by December 2028. Once completed, the expanded capacity of around 1,500 MGD is expected to ensure that untreated sewage no longer flows into the Yamuna.
Focus on sewer connectivity and monitoring
A key pillar of the plan is expanding sewer connectivity in unauthorised colonies and JJ clusters, which remain major sources of pollution. Of Delhi’s 675 JJ clusters, sewer work has been completed in 574, while single-point sewage collection systems are being implemented in 65 clusters.
The Chief Minister directed that all 1,799 unauthorised colonies be connected to the sewer network in phases between December 2026 and December 2028, stressing that full restoration of the river is impossible unless every household is linked to the system.
For closer monitoring, the government has introduced enhanced surveillance of drains. The DPCC and Central Pollution Control Board are conducting monthly water quality tests at 47 identified pollution hotspots.
Drone surveys of minor drains connected to the Najafgarh and Shahdara drains are to be completed by January 2026, with surveys of remaining drains by June 2026. Drone mapping of 22 major drains discharging into the Yamuna will also be undertaken, along with monthly water quality testing.
Inter-state coordination and enforcement
The Chief Minister underlined the importance of coordination with neighbouring states, noting that six drains from Haryana contribute about 33 per cent of polluted water to the Najafgarh drain, while four drains from Uttar Pradesh account for nearly 40 per cent of pollution entering the Shahdara drain. She said she would personally raise the issue with the chief ministers of both states.
She also directed the Irrigation and Flood Control Department to identify land for bio-mining and processing plants to scientifically dispose of silt removed from drains and roads, and asked the DDA to prepare a plan for developing permanent ghats along the Yamuna.
Strict action was ordered against polluting industries, with regular inspections of effluent treatment plants to ensure compliance.
Minister Pravesh Sahib Singh said all major drain and sewer network works under the Yamuna Rejuvenation Mission would be completed by 2028, marking Delhi’s largest coordinated effort to revive the river.