Cash-strapped Jal Board gets Rs 3K cr boost to straengthen sewerage infra

New Delhi: In a significant development to clean the Yamuna river, the Delhi Jal Board (DJB), grappling with a severe financial crunch, has received a much-needed boost with the approval of over Rs 3,000 crore to set up 27 DSTPs across the national capital.

Although the DJB initiated the decentralised sewage treatment plants (DSTP) plan in 2023 with a target of constructing 40 such units, progress had stalled due to the delay in funding approval.

“This is the first major (financial) push we have received,” a DJB official said.

The funds, sanctioned by the Expenditure and Finance Committee headed by Chief Minister Rekha Gupta, will be used to set up 27 DSTPs across the city. Work on these projects has already begun, the official added.

Additionally, the committee has approved the construction of a 10 million gallons per day (MGD) capacity STP at Delhi Gate. “DSTPs treat wastewater at the site of origin and are more flexible and sustainable than large, centralised plants that require extensive infrastructure,” the official explained.