82 % work done on interceptor sewerage project: Minister

NEW DELHI: Eighty-two per cent work on the interceptor sewer project, being implemented to curb pollution in Yamuna river in Delhi, has been completed and will be over by 2016, the Rajya Sabha was informed on Monday.

Union Minister of State for Water Resources Sanwar Lal Jat shared this information while responding to a question - whether all industrial and sewage waste has been diverted to treatment plants meant for recycling water, instead of river.

Jat replied in negative when asked the same, saying, "As of now, all the industrial wastes and sewages are not going to the STP (sewage treatment plant) for treatment."

Explaining reasons behind it, the Union minister said 45 per cent of Delhi is still without sewers due to which waste water is flowing into local drains and finally to major drains and Yamuna.

In sewered areas also, old peripheral sewer lines are settled/defective at various locations resulting into waste water flowing into the drains, he added.

"Interceptor sewer project is being implemented for intercepting drains polluting river Yamuna. About 82 per cent work has been completed till date and is likely to be completed by 2016," the minister said.

The project is aimed at improving quality of Yamuna water by commissioning of wastewater intercepting sewer along the three major drains Najafgarh, Supplementary and Shahdara.