Residents living in the vicinity of Shahdara drain will have to live out the horror for some more time. Delhi Jal Board’s (DJB) much-hyped interceptor project along the drain — meant to stop the mixing of sewerage of nearly 180 sewer lines of unauthorised colonies into the drain — will take at least a year-and-a-half more to complete.
A senior official with DJB confirmed to City Spidey that the project would be completed by 2019-end or by mid-2020.
Why this delay?
To this, the official, requesting anonymity, answered, “When there are multiple authorities involved in projects, delays are inevitable.”
He added, “We will clean up the drain and implement a comprehensive strategy for sludge management. The whole idea is to clean out maximum sewerage before the water reaches Yamuna. Through this interceptor project, the sewerage of unauthorised colonies would be diverted towards sewer treatment plants (STPs).”
This mega project was announced in 2012 by Congress-led Delhi government under the scheme Jawaharlal Nehru National Urban Renewal Mission (JNNURM).
It was meant to be completed by 2015.
A press note available on DJB’s official website issued by former Delhi chief minister, Sheila Dixit, also chairperson of the DJB, read: “I am very happy with the progress. Major drains and the rivers are expected to be sewage-pollution free within three years, which is a major step towards cleaning the Yamuna. This project will also provide sewage facilities to many rural villages, un-urbanised colonies and JJ clusters.”
However, the deadline for the project’s completion got extended with every passing year.
Another senior official with the DJB, who handles DJB’s judicial matters, said: “About 80 per cent work on the interceptor project had been completed in 2017, but the project had stalled about a year back due to a National Green Tribunal (NGT) order, prohibiting any expenditure on drainage projects.”
The main aim of the Rs 3,000-crore mega interceptor project was to revive Delhi’s only river, Yamuna, which receives around 75 per cent of the city’s sewerage.
The Shahdara drain starts from GT road near Seelampur in East Delhi and ends at New Ashok Nagar, bordering Noida. It the carries the sewerage of areas such as Ghazipur, Mandawali, Kondli, Kalyanpuri, New Ashok Nagar, Karawal Nagar and others.
Toxic gases emanating from the drain has badly impacted the life of residents of Mayur Vihar Extension, including East End Apartment which is close to the drain. It has also made life difficult for residents of Noida Sectors 14 and 15.
To overcome this civic challenge, a system of interceptors is to be laid out at various points along the main drain 18 m below ground level, with the pipe diameter of the interceptors varying from 600-2400 mm.
“A number of chambers would set up along the drain and subsidiary drain (nallas) carrying sewage of colonies would be directly connected with these chambers. The sewage would then be directly sent to the nearest STP. So, the whole purpose is to ensure that only treated water is released into the Shahadra drain.”
