EIACP Programme Centre on Hygiene, Sanitation, Sewage Treatment Systems and Technology

To recapitulate, Delhi generates 3268 million liters (MLD) of sewage per day against available treatment capacity of 2756 MLD, whereas only around2083 MLD is being treated. Although many attempts have been made to process more sewage the efforts have not succeeded. Some plants are not receiving sewage in sufficient quantity for which the plants were designed, resulting in capacity under- utilization. Many of the sewage treatment facilities are not functioning optimally and reporting systems and response mechanisms are weak.Read More......

The Delhi Jal Board (DJB) is responsible for water and wastewater (Sewage) treatment in Delhi. The present Sewage treatment capacity of DJB is 512.4 MGD. In addition DSIDC is constructing 14 Common Effluent Treatment Plants (CETP's) and one more CETP is being constructed by Delhi Development Authority (DDA) with a total capacity of 40 MGD. Thus, the wastewater treatment capacity likely to be in position by the year-end (2003) is 552.4 MGD against wastewater generation of 612 MGD. The DJB plans to augment the capacity of Sewage treatment plants by 143 MGD by March 2005, thereby, raising the wastewater treatment capacity to 695.4 MGD against an estimated wastewater generation of 752 MGD.

The DJB has raised the Sewage treatment capacity from 284 MGD in 1995 to 512.4 MGD as on date. As far as utilisation of treatment capacity is concerned at various Sewage treatment plants, it has increased the utilisation of various Sewage treatment plants from 200 MGD in 1995 to 380 MGD.

The trunk sewers exist in a length of 130 km in Delhi. Some of them were constructed as early as in 1930's. Most of them have outlived their life, silted up and settled at many places. Therefore it requires rehabilitation/ desilting.

The rehabilitation/ desilting of trunk sewers in a length of 22 km. has been completed. The work for a further length of 10.5 km. is in progress and is likely to be completed by 2004.

The Sewage network exists in a length of about 6,000 km. consisting of branch sewers/ peripheral sewers and trunk sewers. DJB has prepared an Action Plan to replace the 600 km. length of peripheral and branch sewers out of which, approximately 160 km of undersize branch sewers have been replaced and balance are likely to be replaced in a phased manner.