Finish Okhla wastewater treatment plant by year-end: Atishi to officials

New Delhi, November 30

The Delhi Government is constructing a wastewater treatment plant in Okhla, with a capacity to treat 564 million litres of sewage daily. It is expected to be Asia’s largest wastewater treatment plant.

Water Minister Atishi today inspected the plant, which is in its final phase. Taking cognisance of delay, the Minister pulled up officials and directed them to complete the project by the end of this year.

“With a capacity of 564 MLD (millions of litres per day), this waste treatment plant is going to be a game-changer and will go a long way in cleaning the Yamuna. Once it becomes operational, instead of releasing millions of litres of sewage into the Yamuna directly, the waste will be treated properly before the discharge,” Atishi said. She said the water treated from the plant could even be used for gardening and other purposes.

The Minister told the officials that the remaining work should be completed by the end of the year. She also directed them to submit a new timeline and progress reports to her every Monday.

An official from the Water Minister office said she asserted that any delay in the completion of construction work would not be tolerated.

The sewage from most parts of Central Delhi, mainly the NDMC area, and South Delhi will be directed to this plant. Utilizing advanced technologies, including UV rays, the sewage will be treated and the biochemical oxygen demand levels will be reduced to up to 10.

“This plant will have the capacity to treat up to 15 to 20 per cent of Delhi’s sewage. Besides, the biochemical oxygen demand will reach a level, where it can be used for various purposes,” said the Minister

The plant will also generate 4.8 megawatts of electricity by producing biogas from sewage sludge, fulfilling half of its energy requirements on its own.