Home / Environment / Delhi STPs Fined ₹2.89 Crore for Polluting Yamuna
Delhi STPs Fined ₹2.89 Crore for Polluting Yamuna
8 Feb
Summary
- 15 sewage treatment plants face ₹2.89 crore fine for pollution.
- STPs failed to meet Total Suspended Solids and BOD standards.
- Fines calculated using a new methodology for 'red' category industries.
The Delhi Pollution Control Committee (DPCC) has levied an environmental compensation of ₹2.89 crore on 15 sewage treatment plants (STPs) for failing to meet prescribed water quality standards. These violations occurred between July and October 2025, impacting the Yamuna River's health. The STPs failed to adhere to Central Pollution Control Board (CPCB) norms regarding Total Suspended Solids (TSS), Biological Oxygen Demand (BOD), ammoniacal nitrogen, and chemical oxygen demand (COD).
Previously, in February 2024, the National Green Tribunal (NGT) took notice of a report stating that 75% of Delhi's STPs were not meeting standards. In response, the DPCC decided to calculate environmental compensation based on a formula used for 'red' category industries. Consequently, show cause notices for the ₹2.89 crore fine have been issued to the Delhi Jal Board (DJB) or private operators of 14 STPs that violated norms from July to October 2025, with an additional STP failing in August 2025.
Delhi is actively working to improve its sewage treatment capacity, with the DJB planning new STPs in Zindpur and Mitraon, and several smaller plants. The city's 37 operational STPs have a capacity to treat 667 million gallons per day (mgd), but the daily sewage generation is much higher, leading to a treatment gap of 227mgd that pollutes drains and the Yamuna.
