In news–The Union Minister for Jal Shakti has inspected the 564 MLD Okhla Sewage Treatment Plant which is currently being constructed under the Yamuna Action plan-III for which funds are being provided by the central government.
About the plant-
- Located in the South East Delhi district of Delhi, Okhla Sewage Treatment complex has six wastewater treatment plants.
- The existing Phase-I, II, III and IV plants were constructed before 1993.
- As the old plants outlived their life, it was decided that a new STP of combined capacity of Phase I, II, III & IV is constructed with stringent effluent parameters including removal of Biological Nutrients.
- It will also have provision of online monitoring of quality parameters of effluent, SCADA, power generation from biogas and sludge management etc.
- As per the cost sharing arrangement, 85% of the cost is borne by the central government under the Namami Gange Programme and 15% by the state government.
- Okhla STP is the biggest sewage treatment plant in Asia.
- Being an integrated project, the sludge management has also been included in the scope of the work as per which the sludge will be properly disposed of in a scientific manner addressing the environmental-related issues.
- Presently in Delhi, under Namami Gange programme, a total of 11 projects for treatment of 1268 MLD sewage have been taken up at a cost of Rs. 2009 crore by NMCG to conserve River Yamuna and are targeted to be completed by December 2022.
Namami Gange programme-
- It is an Integrated Conservation Mission, approved as ‘Flagship Programme’ by the Union Government in June 2014 with budget outlay of Rs.20,000 Crore to accomplish the twin objectives of effective abatement of pollution, conservation and rejuvenation of National River Ganga.
- The programme is implemented by National Mission on Clean Ganga (NMCG) along with its State Programme Management Groups.
- NMCG is a society registered under the Societies Registration Act 1860.
- It acted as the implementation arm of National Ganga River Basin Authority (NGRBA) which was constituted under the provisions of the Environment (Protection) Act (EPA),1986.
- NGRBA has since been dissolved with effect from the 7th October 2016, consequent to the constitution of the National Council for Rejuvenation, Protection and Management of River Ganga (referred as National Ganga Council).
Source: PIB
