Chandigarh, March 29 — Polluted water from Uttar Pradesh, Delhi, and Haryana flows into the Yamuna River, eventually entering Gurugram Canal downstream of Delhi’s Okhla Barrage, the Haryana government stated in the assembly on Friday.
Responding to a question by Congress MLA Aftab Ahmed from Nuh, the government said the polluted effluent was degrading the canal’s water quality and harming the region’s flora and fauna. Ahmed had asked if the canal was indeed receiving contaminated water and sought details on the steps being taken to address the issue.
The government stated that sewage lines have been laid in all towns and cities along the Yamuna’s catchment area as part of the Yamuna Action Plan, which is regularly reviewed by Haryana’s chief secretary. The Union government’s Jal Shakti secretary also monitors the implementation status across basin states.
According to the government’s written statement, 1,239 Million Litres per Day (MLD) of sewage is generated by 34 towns discharging into the Yamuna. To treat this, 89 sewage treatment plants (STPs) with a combined capacity of 1,526 MLD have been set up, of which 65 STPs with 987 MLD capacity were built in the past decade.
Besides, three new STPs with a 29 MLD capacity are being installed, while 13 older STPs with a 150 MLD capacity are being upgraded to meet the Haryana State Pollution Control Board’s (HSPCB) stricter standards.
