Ahmedabad, August 18: The Delhi government plans to file a First Information Report (FIR) following an investigation into the Controller and Auditor General (CAG) report concerning the cleanup of the Yamuna River, sewage treatment projects, and expenditures by the Delhi Jal Board. This announcement was made by Delhi Cabinet Minister Pravesh Verma on Monday.
Minister Verma was visiting the Sabarmati Riverfront in Ahmedabad, where he inspected the development of the riverfront and measures to prevent sewage from entering the river.
He stated that the CAG has raised serious questions regarding the utilization of funds for sewage treatment plants (STPs) and the Delhi Jal Board.
“The CAG report is addressing all the work done by previous governments. A report has also been released concerning the Delhi Jal Board, reviewing its expenditures,” he said.
Verma added, “The CAG has raised serious concerns about the money spent on sewage treatment plants, which have not operated properly and failed to work at their intended capacity. They have not treated the amount of water and sewage they were supposed to, leading to significant objections from the CAG. We have submitted the report to the committee, and an FIR will be filed based on the committee’s findings.”
The CAG’s performance audit report covers the operations of the Delhi Jal Board from 2017-18 to 2021-22.
The report highlights deficiencies in sewer management, project delays, financial management, and human resource issues. It indicates that untreated sewage from unauthorized colonies is being directly discharged into drains, and treated water from several STPs does not meet the required standards.
According to the CAG report, 212.59 million gallons per day (MGD) of sewage from 1,080 unauthorized colonies is being released untreated into drains. Additionally, treated effluent from 25 STPs being discharged into the Yamuna also failed to meet the prescribed standards.
Verma emphasized that the Delhi government is not waiting for the Yamuna cleanup to be completed; instead, efforts to clean the river and develop the riverfront are progressing simultaneously.
He stated, “Various departments have started working together on the Yamuna cleanup.”
According to the minister, the Delhi Jal Board is constructing new STPs and upgrading old plants. The government aims to address the sewage treatment capacity deficit within the next two years.
He mentioned plans to connect millions of homes to the sewer network within the next 18 months. Additionally, strategies are being developed to manage waste from dairies and to treat waste from septic tanks by directing it to STPs.
Recent government data indicates that Delhi generates approximately 3,596 million liters of sewage daily, while the total capacity of the 37 operational STPs is 3,474 MLD.
Despite this, around 641 MLD of sewage is reaching rivers and drains untreated. Furthermore, 14 STPs are not complying with pollution control standards.
Verma noted that valuable lessons from the Sabarmati Riverfront could be applied to the Yamuna project.
He remarked, “The nearly 90 percent of issues faced by the Sabarmati are also present in the Yamuna. The challenges are greater due to Delhi’s larger population and the higher volume of sewage entering the Yamuna.”
He outlined plans for the proposed Yamuna riverfront, which will include large parks, bicycle tracks, ghats, recreational facilities, and sports fields. Various departments are collaborating on these projects.
The minister also suggested that, similar to the rehabilitation of dhobi ghats at the Sabarmati Riverfront, a separate and improved arrangement could be made for laundry workers along the Yamuna to prevent direct pollution of the river.
Verma expressed confidence that residents of Delhi would witness significant changes in the Yamuna and the capital before the next elections.
He stated, “We have promised that before the next elections, the people of Delhi will see substantial changes in the Yamuna and the city.”
Regarding the Chhath Puja, he assured that despite ongoing cleanup efforts, the government would continue to provide designated ghats for devotees. He noted that approximately one million people participated in the rituals at the ghats established last year.
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