Expert panel to audit water quality in Delhi

In a bid to improve the quality of water in the national capital, Delhi water minister Kapil Mishra on Tuesday announced audit of all sewage treatment plants (STPs) and sewage pumping stations (SPSs) in the city, besides evaluation of drains flowing into the Yamuna. Mr Mishra has constituted a four-member expert panel comprising Delhi Jal Board chief engineer, Manoj Mishra of Yamuna Jiye Abhiyaan, personal secretary to DJB’s chairman, and Manu Bhatnagar from INTACH.

The panel has been asked to conduct a comprehensive study and submit recommendations within a month, and thereafter the DJB will implement them. The decision was taken at a high-level meeting chaired by the water minister. “The Delhi government will publish status paper on SPS and STP’s performance by the four-member committee of water experts and technologists within a month. The DJB will also install emission and quality monitoring systems at these STPs and SPSs to tackle water quality and health-related issues,” a senior government official said.

The DJB has also decided to publish data on all STPs and SPSs online by September 13 to make accessible information on the water being treated at these plants. The official claimed that this is for the first time any state government has ordered a detailed study of all STPs and SPSs to improve water quality.

He said the DJB will prepare septage and sludge management plan in collaboration with IIT Delhi. “The DJB has been asked to evaluate criticality index of all drains flowing into Yamuna to assess future steps to clean Yamuna’s drain,” he said. “The DJB will also conduct massive sewage infrastructure audit which will ensure a comprehensive review of all drains and pipelines for assessing future robustness and adequacy of water and drainage network for the city,” the official said. The DJB is also coming up with a rewards scheme for staff to incentivise high performance within the organisation.