Yamuna pollution: Haryana set to deploy drones to map drains

Chandigarh: The Haryana govt has launched an extensive action plan to curb pollution flowing into Delhi through inter-state drains linked to the Yamuna river system, with a renewed focus on sewage treatment, industrial waste management and real-time monitoring.The initiative was reviewed on Tuesday by Haryana chief secretary Anurag Rastogi during a meeting on the state's pollution control strategy aimed at preventing contaminated water from Haryana drains from entering Delhi through the Yamuna.Officials reviewed compliance with directions issued by the ministry of home affairs regarding sewerage and industrial waste management. The meeting also assessed pollution control measures for key drains entering Delhi from Haryana, including Drain No. 6, Mungeshpur Drain, Bupania Drain and Palam Vihar Drain.Chairman of the Haryana State Pollution Control Board Vinay Pratap Singh said the state will undertake zone-wise drone surveys to map all drains and sub-drains discharging into the Yamuna and monitor both water flow and water quality. The surveys are intended to identify pollution hotspots and strengthen source-level monitoring. Officials informed the meeting that Haryana has operationalised 90 sewage treatment plants (STPs) with a combined treatment capacity of 1,518 MLD across 34 towns. Four additional STPs with a capacity of 170 MLD are under construction, while nine STPs covering 227 MLD are being upgraded.To strengthen industrial wastewater treatment, 17 common effluent treatment plants (CETPs) with a combined capacity of 184.5 MLD are operational in the state. Two CETPs are being upgraded and eight new CETPs with a proposed capacity of 146 MLD have been planned.The govt also plans to set up nine new STPs with a treatment capacity of 510 MLD under its future expansion strategy. Timelines for various projects range from December 2025 to December 2028.Under the Yamuna Action Plan-2019, Haryana aims to achieve B-Class water quality standards in the river by reducing biochemical oxygen demand (BOD) levels to 3 mg/litre or below and maintaining dissolved oxygen levels above 5 mg/litre. MSID:: 131203456 413 |