Yamuna river pollution raises questions for Delhi's treatment infrastructure

摘要

Rising pollution in the Yamuna river means that the water authority for India's capital city Delhi is coming under increasing pressure from regulators to invest in wastewater treatment upgrades, after progress on a number of key capital projects slowed down. The city has four large treatment plant projects underway, backed by the national Namami Gange river clean-up programme, but with the authorities putting pressure on the city to clean up its act quickly, a refo-cus on existing infrastructure upgrades, decentralised sewage treatment, and industrial effluent treatment upgrades will also be necessary to keep pollution in check. Rising pollution levels and foaming issues in the Yamuna prompted India's Central Pollution Control Board (CPCB) to issue corrective directions to the Delhi Jal Board (DJB) late last month to improve its sewerage infrastructure. The Delhi Pollution Control Committee (DPCC), wich acts as the regional pollution control enforcement body, also issued notices to errant common effluent treatment plants (CETPs) in the city to ensure proper treatment.