India

Delhi Jal Board Approves ₹149‑Crore Sewer Line Through Yamuna Floodplain

By Paras Singh

The Delhi Jal Board (DJB) has received administrative approval for an estimated ₹148.90 crore cost of an 1,800‑mm‑diameter sewer line that will run 8.34 km through the Yamuna floodplain. The pipeline will carry sewage from the Ring Road pumping station to the Okhla sewage treatment plant (STP). The project, which has an estimated value of about ₹140.04 crore and a 1.5‑year completion period, aims to reduce overflows caused by three aging gravity ducts built in 1938, 1972 and 1992 that have become silted and inadequate. Officials say the new line will convey sewage directly to the 124‑million‑gallon‑a‑day Okhla STP, easing the load on existing ducts and minimizing overflows and foul conditions in the Sriniwaspuri, Kalkaji, NFC and Captain Gaur Marg areas, especially during the monsoon.

The proposed alignment through the Yamuna floodplain raises concerns about maintaining the floodplain’s ecological functions, such as floodwater storage and groundwater recharge. The Delhi Development Authority’s planning framework stresses ecological restoration and prohibits permanent construction in the floodplain, as stated in its draft Master Plan 2041. Questions remain about how the pipeline can be laid with minimal disturbance to the terrain, vegetation, drainage patterns and water‑retention capacity, and about the need for excavation, access roads, soil dumping and restoration.

Yamuna activist Bhim Singh Rawat, a member of the South Asia Network on Dams, Rivers and People (SANDRP), warned that no further construction should be permitted in the floodplains, which are already heavily encroached. He criticized past projects that diverted sewage and argued that Delhi must learn from its failures, noting that targeting floodplains with projects like riverfronts, flood walls and sewer lines ultimately harms the river ecosystem.