Home / Environment / Yamuna Pollution Crisis: UP Faces Massive Sewage Gap
Yamuna Pollution Crisis: UP Faces Massive Sewage Gap
24 Sep
Summary
- UP's urban areas have a 940 MLD sewage treatment gap.
- Yamuna catchment faces a 1,755 MLD total sewage treatment deficit.
- Plan proposes new STPs and upgrades costing over ₹21,000 crore.
Gautam Budh Nagar and Ghaziabad have been identified as critical river pollution hotspots requiring immediate attention, as outlined in a comprehensive Yamuna Action Plan developed under Supreme Court directives. Uttar Pradesh's urban areas alone exhibit a substantial sewage treatment gap, amounting to 940.03 million litres per day (MLD).
The action plan reveals a total sewage treatment deficit of 1,755.80 MLD across the entire Yamuna catchment, with Uttar Pradesh, Haryana, and Delhi bearing the largest shares of this gap. Concerns have been raised regarding untreated wastewater entering the Yamuna, stemming from issues such as malfunctioning sewage treatment plants (STPs) and incomplete drain trapping.
To combat this, the plan proposes significant infrastructure development, including upgrading 20 existing STPs and constructing 125 new ones and decentralized systems. This extensive upgrade and new construction initiative is estimated to cost approximately ₹21,142.88 crore.
Further measures include proposing an e-flow notification for the Yamuna main stem by December 2026 and promoting treated wastewater reuse. Thermal power plants are mandated to achieve 30% reuse by 2030 and 50% by 2035. However, concerns remain about inadequate attention to floodplain protection and encroachment removal, which are crucial for the Yamuna's restoration.
