Inadequate flow, untreated sewage behind Yamuna pollution: Minister

New Delhi: Inadequate flow, discharge of untreated effluent and over-extraction of ground water are the major reasons for high level of pollution in the Yamuna river, the Rajya Sabha was told on Monday.

Union Minister of State for Water Resources Vijay Goel stated that the ministry was supplementing the efforts of the states for pollution abatement of the Yamuna by providing financial assistance to Haryana, Delhi and Uttar Pradesh since 1993 under the Yamuna Action Plan (YAP). 

According to a Central Pollution Control Board (CPCB) report, in Delhi the Yamuna flows for 46 km, and receives around 70 per cent of the total pollution between Wazirabad and downstream Okhla barrage. This length is less than two per cent of the entire river stretch. 

"The total expenditure incurred on conservation of river Yamuna under the YAP Phase I and II is Rs 1,514.70 crore," the minister stated.

At present Japan International Cooperation Agency (JICA) assisted YAP Phase-III project is under implementation at an estimated cost of Rs 1,656 crore in Delhi for rehabilitation and upgradation of existing Sewage Treatment Plants (950 million litres per day) and trunk sewers (43 kms) in Delhi.

Goel said under the first phase of "Maily Se Nirmal Yamuna Revitalization Plan 2017", the ministry had sanctioned the sewage treatment plant works in Najafgarh Drain in Delhi for an estimated amount of Rs 344.81 crore of which 70 percent cost will be shared by the central government and the rest by the Delhi government.

"In addition to these, the Delhi government has been taking up projects for addressing the problem of pollution of river Yamuna from their own resources," the minister stated.