New Delhi: In a major step towards cleaning the Yamuna River, Delhi’s Water minister Pravesh Sahib Singh Verma has directed the Delhi Jal Board (DJB) to conduct a third-party audit of all sewage treatment plants (STPs) in the Capital. The directive comes amid growing concerns about untreated sewage continuing to flow into the river, despite multiple initiatives.
The minister took a stern stance in a recent review meeting with DJB’s Sewage Management Department, where he was briefed on the treatment capacity and the status of ongoing upgradation and repair works across the city’s STPs.
“We have instructed the DJB to carry out a third-party audit of all STPs to get a clear picture of their actual treatment capacity and how much sewage is being processed,” said Verma.
Delhi currently has 37 STPs, 18 of which are undergoing upgradation. In addition, three new plants at Sonia Vihar, Delhi Gate, and Okhla are expected to add approximately 47 million gallons per day (MGD) of extra treatment capacity.
Verma highlighted the urgency of the situation, “At present, a significant volume of untreated sewage is being discharged into the Yamuna. The Delhi government is taking concrete steps to stop this. The audit is an important move in that direction. Future action plans will be drawn based on the audit findings.”
To support this initiative, the Delhi government allocated Rs 500 crore in the 2025–26 budget for STP repairs and Rs 250 crore for the replacement of old sewer lines.
Officials revealed that 30 out of the 37 STPs are operated by private companies. Minister Verma instructed these operators to ensure that STPs function according to prescribed standards. “All operators must maintain performance as per the required benchmarks,” he added.
Earlier this month, Verma had announced that Asia’s largest wastewater treatment plant at Okhla, with a capacity of 564 MLD, is now fully operational. The DJB has also started work on decentralised sewage treatment plants (DSTPs) as part of the broader clean Yamuna mission. This audit and infrastructure overhaul are central to Delhi government’s long-term strategy to make the Yamuna clean and pollution-free.