The Ministry of Jal Shakti on Thursday informed the Lok Sabha that significant progress has been made in the ongoing efforts to clean the Yamuna River in Delhi. However, pollution levels at several points in the river remain well above permissible limits, indicating the need for continued and intensified action.
In a written reply, Minister of State for Jal Shakti Raj Bhushan Choudhary said that water quality at key locations along the Yamuna—Palla, Nizamuddin Bridge, and Okhla Barrage—is being monitored monthly by the Central Pollution Control Board (CPCB) under the National Water Quality Monitoring Programme (NWMP). Parameters such as Biochemical Oxygen Demand (BOD), Dissolved Oxygen (DO), and Faecal Coliform (FC) are being tracked since January 2025.
As per data provided by the Delhi Jal Board (DJB), the national capital generates around 3,596 million litres per day (MLD) of sewage. While Delhi has 37 operational sewage treatment plants (STPs) with a total capacity of 3,474 MLD, only 2,955 MLD of sewage is actually being treated. Out of this, 2,014 MLD from 23 STPs complies with the discharge norms set by the Delhi Pollution Control Committee (DPCC), while 14 STPs remain non-compliant. An estimated 641 MLD of sewage continues to be discharged untreated into the Yamuna or the city’s drainage system.
The CPCB also conducts annual inspections of Grossly Polluting Industries (GPIs) in the Yamuna basin. In the last round of inspections carried out in 2024, a total of 189 GPIs were assessed in Delhi. Of these, 158 were operational and 31 had self-closed. Among the operational units, 49 were found to be violating discharge norms or lacked valid consent to operate. The concerned state pollution control boards issued 40 show-cause notices and 9 closure orders to the defaulting industries.
To strengthen sewage treatment infrastructure under the Namami Gange Programme, nine projects worth ₹1,951 crore have been sanctioned for Delhi. These projects have added a treatment capacity of 1,268 MLD and include major initiatives such as the rehabilitation of trunk sewers, rising mains, and the upgradation of STPs at Kondli and Coronation Pillar. The Ministry confirmed that all nine projects have been completed.
Since January 2025, a total of ₹140 crore has been allocated for Yamuna cleaning efforts, out of which ₹108.31 crore has already been utilized. The ministry stressed that river cleaning is a continuous process, and it is working closely with the states of Himachal Pradesh, Haryana, Uttar Pradesh, and the Government of NCT of Delhi to tackle Yamuna pollution through financial and technical assistance.
Despite infrastructure upgrades, water quality data from 2025 paints a grim picture. Downstream stretches of the river, particularly at Nizamuddin, Okhla, and Asgarpur, continue to record BOD levels far exceeding the safe limit of 3 mg/L. Faecal Coliform counts in these areas were reported in the range of hundreds of thousands to millions per 100 ml, highlighting the urgent need for stricter enforcement, expanded treatment coverage, and robust pollution control mechanisms.
