The Hindu : New Delhi News : Delhi mulls over drains on Yamuna

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Friday, Aug 10, 2007
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Delhi mulls over drains on Yamuna

Gaurav Vivek Bhatnagar

Ropes in Engineers India to study project

The drains would take all the sewage flowing into them to treatment plants
Bid to implement as much of the plan as possible ahead of the Games 2010

NEW DELHI: The Delhi Government has engaged the services of Asia’s leading design and engineering company, Engineers India Limited, for studying a project report prepared by the Delhi Jal Board to make interceptor channels on both sides of the Yamuna for the purpose of cleaning it.

According to Chief Minister Sheila Dikshit, the company would examine the feasibility of the sewerage and drainage plan prepared by the Jal Board and also recommend suitable changes to bring it to the implementation stage at the earliest.

“While we would like to implement as much of the plan as possible ahead of the Commonwealth Games in 2010 to present Delhi in the best possible light, these are projects that would have long-term gains and so we would not rush with them, but would rather implement them in the best possible manner,” she said.

Ms. Dikshit said her Government was very keen to identify an effective and lasting solution to the vexed issue. If necessary, foreign consultants would be roped in to provide ways and means of cleaning the river that turns into a virtual drain by the time it leaves the city.

The Delhi Government has now also finally come to the conclusion that the most effective way of tackling the issue is to construct interceptor drains on both sides of the river so that no waste flows into it. The drains would take all the sewage flowing into them to treatment plants thereby ensuring that the river is saved from pollution.

Prime Minister Manmohan Singh had set up a high-power committee on Monday for conservation and development of the Yamuna. While appointing Delhi Lieutenant-Governor and Chief Minister co-chairpersons, he had stated that development of the riverfront needed to be approached with proper care.

According to Ms. Dikshit, development of the riverfront is essential in the context of Delhi as it would provide the opportunity for a lot of planned development. “The Yamuna riverbed in Delhi spans nearly 10,000 hectares and we need to look at ways and means of channelising the river in a proper way to make use of this land,” she said.

The new committee would also look into the environmental concerns that have been voiced by various groups on the coming up and impact of the Commonwealth Games Village that is being constructed on the Yamuna riverbed. Ms. Dikshit said the Delhi Government would work keeping in mind the concerns raised by environmentalists.

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