New Delhi: Delhi govt has initiated the process to replicate Ahmedabad’s Sabarmati riverfront model along Yamuna , with water minister Parvesh Verma saying it will complete the first phase of the project within its current term.
The river flows for about 52 kilometres through Delhi, with the 22-kilometre stretch between Wazirabad and Okhla among its most polluted sections. Verma said 28 of Delhi’s 37 sewage treatment plants have been upgraded over the past 18 months. Govt plans to add another 250 million gallons per day of treatment capacity to address the existing shortfall.
Govt has moved a proposal to sign an agreement with Sabarmati Riverfront Development Corporation and is hiring consultants to start work, he said. The first stretch will be developed first, serving as a model for the rest of the riverfront, he said. Senior officials said that govt is also working on cleaning Yamuna, which is a bigger challenge.
The project will be divided into two stretches by Wazirabad barrage. The first phase will cover Palla to Wazirabad, while the second will extend from Wazirabad to Kalindi Kunj, near Okhla barrage. Yamuna could become visibly cleaner in about two and a half years when the sewage treatment projects are completed, he added.