Delhi government announces extension of free sewer connection scheme

The Delhi government on Monday announced the extension of its free sewer connection scheme, saying it will help reduce pollution in the Yamuna river.

Water minister Saurabh Bhardwaj said the city government will provide free sewer connections in the unauthorised colonies of Sangam Vihar and Ghalibpur and Rs 7 crore has been earmarked for this purpose.

He said the Arvind Kejriwal government has connected 527 new unauthorised colonies to the sewer network since coming to power eight years ago, expanding the sewer network by 2,371 kilometres.

This new initiative will further strengthen the government's commitment to improve the living conditions of the people in Delhi, Bhardwaj said.

Untapped wastewater from unauthorised colonies and jhuggi-jhopri clusters, and poor quality of treated wastewater discharged from sewage treatment plants and common effluent treatment plants is the main reason behind high levels of pollution in the Yamuna.

Twenty-two drains carrying domestic wastewater and industrial effluent fall into the Yamuna between Wazirabad and Okhla. Though the 22-km stretch is less than two per cent of the river length, it accounts for about 80 per cent of the pollution in the river.