UP, Haryana releasing untreated wastewater into the Yamuna: Delhi Jal Board

Amid reports of frothing in the Yamuna River, Delhi Jal Board Vice Chairman Raghav Chadha expressed his anguish at the governments of Uttar Pradesh and Haryana for releasing untreated wastewater into it, said a press release from the Board.

Chadha has urged the neighbouring states of Uttar Pradesh and Haryana to clean up their act to contain frothing in the river.

In a statement, DJB Vice-Chairman Raghav Chadha alleged, ''It appears that the governments of UP and Haryana are not bothered about how they are releasing untreated wastewater into Yamuna. I'd like to put on record that Delhi Jal Board has been constantly working to further enhance and augment its STP capacities so that untreated effluents are not released into the Yamuna.''

Chadha said, ''The Okhla Barrage is under the UP Irrigation Department, and because of its lackadaisical attitude, water hyacinth plants grow all around. One needs to understand that when these hyacinth plants decompose, they release surfactants like phosphates. When this water, filled with huge amounts of surfactants like phosphates, falls in Kalindi Kunj from a height, it produces foam, which gradually accumulates and floats on the surface of the water. This foam gets difficult to remove.''

Elaborating on further causes of foaming and frothing of River Yamuna, the Vice Chairman said, ''Apart from this, the paper and sugar industries operating in Meerut, Muzaffarnagar, Shamli and Saharanpur in Uttar Pradesh also release untreated wastewater containing surfactants, which is then released into Yamuna through the Hindon Canal at Okhla Barrage near Indira Kunj. This causes foam to grow and accumulate in the Yamuna.''

He also said, ''UP's untreated dirty water reaches Delhi through Shahdara drain, and Haryana's untreated dirty water reaches us through Najafgarh drain. Both combined cause immense water pollution in Okhla Barrage. We will need cooperation from Uttar Pradesh and Haryana to keep the Yamuna clean."

Delhi Jal Board has, in the past, apprised the NGT-appointed Yamuna Monitoring Committee (YMC), regarding the surfactants like phosphates released by a large number of water hyacinths in the Okhla Barrage maintained by the UP Irrigation Department. In addition, the YMC has also been apprised of Uttar Pradesh and Haryana releasing approximately 150 MGD of untreated wastewater into Yamuna. Delhi Jal Board has been working 24X7, round the clock to augment its Sewage Treatment Plants to bring the BOD:TSS levels to the requisite 10:10, and treating sewage and wastewater.

( With inputs from ANI )