New Delhi: Delhi's biggest sewage treatment plant in Okhla was made partly operational on Saturday, officials of Delhi Jal Board said on Saturday. The construction of the STP, a joint venture between the National Mission for Clean Ganga and DJB, started in 2017. With a full capacity for treating 124 million gallons per day (MGD) of sewage, the facility, according to officials, is Asia's largest such plant.
"The trials have started. The full commissioning will be done phase-wise and the first phase is over," said an official. "We are trying to open one stream this month. The rest will take some time."
The completion of work has created a peculiar problem because both the central and state govts wish to inaugurate the plant. "We are under pressure from both sides on this, especially since the assembly elections are so close," said the DJB official. "These matters should be resolved between the Centre and states. Why involve officials in politics? We have not been able to officially extend an invite to either because a credit war might be triggered by that," said a circumspect official.
Built at the estimated cost of Rs 665 crore with the project sanctioned in 2017, the central govt has contributed 85% of the cost with the rest being borne by the state.
Okhla wastewater treatment plant will treat sewage generated in south Delhi, NDMC areas and some other parts of the capital. The plant faced delays in commissioning due to the pandemic lockdown, funds crunch and a recent strike by contractors. Initially, the plant was supposed to become operation in Dec 2022, but the deadline was extended. In Nov last year, then water minister Atishi ordered DJB to have the plant running by year-end. But that target also could not be achieved.
The Okhla plant, being an integrated project, includes disposal of sludge in a scientific manner addressing environmental-related issues.