Under the leadership of Chief Minister Shri Arvind Kejriwal, a significant milestone is being achieved in the history of Delhi. For the first time ever, the cleaning (desilting) of all trunk (main) sewer lines is taking place. The Kejriwal Government’s initiative will bring complete relief to the residents of Delhi from the persistent problem of sewer line overflow and contribute to the rejuvenation of the Yamuna. Furthermore, it will effectively address the issue of waterlogging on the roads. In line with Shri Arvind Kejriwal’s directives, the Delhi Jal Board has undertaken the crucial task of cleaning the Ring Road trunk sewer line. This project, with a budget of 34.7 crore rupees, will encompass the stretch from the Red Fort Gate to Maharani Bagh SPS, under the jurisdiction of Okhla WWP. By undertaking this endeavour, the Kejriwal government aims to ensure that the residents of the area no longer have to face the challenges posed by sewer overflow.
As per the directions of Chief Minister Shri Arvind Kejriwal, a decision has been made to clean the 9.8 km long Ring Road trunk sewer line, starting from the Red Fort Gate and ending at Maharani Bagh on Ring Road SPS. This trunk sewer line was last desilted more than 18 years ago, and since then, its accumulation has not been addressed. Over time, a significant amount of sediment has accumulated in the trunk sewer line. Several sewer pumping stations in Delhi dump their wastewater into this sewer line. To assess the situation of sediment accumulation in this trunk sewer line, an acoustic profiling inspection was conducted in July 2022. According to the inspection report, the sediment accumulation in this trunk sewer line ranges from approximately 10 percent to 53 percent. The accumulation of sediment has resulted in reduced flow capacity of the sewerage system. Particularly during the rainy season, excessive pumping from SPS causes the occurrence of back-overflow situations. As a result, there is a problem of waterlogging on the roads, leading to traffic congestion. Additionally, it causes considerable inconvenience to both vehicle and pedestrian movement due to the waterlogged conditions. In light of these challenges, the decision has been taken by the Delhi government to initiate the cleaning of the Ring Road trunk sewer line from the Red Fort Gate to Maharani Bagh SPS. After desilting this trunk line, the residents of the area will be relieved from the issue of sewer blockages, and the sewer flow will be restored to normal functioning.
The residents in these areas will benefit from this measure:
- Chandni Chowk
- Daryaganj
- Sarai Kale Khan
- Ajmeri Gate
- Pragati Maidan
- Nizamuddin
- Sunder Nagar
On May 17, 2023, Chief Minister Shri Arvind Kejriwal chaired a high-level meeting with the Delhi Jal Board regarding the cleaning of sewerage in Delhi. During the meeting, Chief Minister Shri Arvind Kejriwal extensively discussed the cleaning of the Yamuna as well. It came to light that the trunk sewer (main sewer) lines in Delhi have never been cleaned before. Previously, whenever these lines got clogged, they were simply replaced by the previous governments, incurring significantly higher costs and increasing pollution. Only a small portion of the lines could be cleaned, while the rest remained unattended. Digging up roads was necessary for laying sewer lines, causing inconvenience to the general public. Moreover, the entire sewerage system could not be cleaned effectively. Upon understanding the situation, Shri Arvind Kejriwal gave directions to the Delhi Jal Board to focus on cleaning the entire sewer system in Delhi.
Following the Chief Minister’s directions, the Delhi Jal Board is working on a war footing to improve sewerage management in Delhi. Just as the Kejriwal Government, in its previous terms, revamped schools and hospitals during their tenure, this time, the priority is to clean the Yamuna. As part of this effort, 100% of households in Delhi are being connected to the sewer lines so that the people in these areas can have relief from sewerage issues and enjoy a clean and hygienic environment.
It is to be noted that the cleaning work of the approximately 90-kilometre-long trunk sewer lines in Delhi is progressing well. The cleaning (desilting) of the trunk sewer lines has been carried out as follows: from Yamuna Vihar STP to 7.65 kilometres, from Rithala-Rohini STP to 19.21 kilometres, from Narela STP and Coronation Pillar STP to 8.05 kilometres, from Keshopur STP to 2.84 kilometres, from Nilothi STP to 4.65 kilometres, from Kondli STP in the East Zone to 8.76 kilometres, from Dwarka STP to 27.10 kilometres, from Okhla STP to 11.51 kilometres, and in Gravity Duct Number-1, up to 2.5 kilometres of trunk sewer lines have been desilted. So far, the desilting of 36.87 kilometres of trunk/peripheral sewer lines has been completed. By the end of June 2023, the cleaning work of these trunk sewer lines will be fully accomplished. Additionally, the survey and estimation work for desilting an additional 110 kilometres of sewer lines is in progress. Initially, 45 kilometres of sewer lines will be desilted. This work will be completed by March 2024. Furthermore, a plan is being formulated for the desilting work of an additional 530 kilometres of long sewer lines.
