New Delhi, April 16 -- The BJP government in the first meeting of its Expenditure Finance Committee (EFC) chaired by Chief Minister Rekha Gupta on Wednesday approved funds worth Rs 4,000 crore for cleaning of Yamuna and construction of a high security prison in Narela besides others.
Speaking at an event here, the chief minister said the EFC approved infrastructure projects worth Rs 4,000 crore, including Rs 3,140 crore for construction of 27 sewage treatment plants (STPs) and laying of sewerlines to augment efforts to
clean the heavily polluted Yamuna in Delhi.
The meeting chaired by the chief minister was attended by Cabinet ministers Parvesh Verma, Ashish Sood, Kapil Mishra and Pankaj Singh along with senior officers. Gupta said that construction of 27 decentralized sewage treatment plants have been approved in the meeting. Additionally, to strengthen Delhi's transport infrastructure, approval was given for the establishment of charging stations for electric buses at DTC depot, ISBT, and Cluster Bus depots in Dwarka, a statement issued by the government said.
The committee approved Rs 107.02 crore for BSES Rajdhani Power Limited to set up electric bus charging stations at Cluster Depot-I & II, ISBT Sector-22, and DTC depot Sector-8 in Dwarka.
The committee sanctioned Rs 148.58 crore for building the high-security prison in Narela, the statement said. The new jail will be built on over 40 acres of land and have capacity to accommodate 256 inmates.
Earlier in March, the chief minister while presenting Delhi's budget for 2025-26 said the Tihar prison complex will be shifted to some outer part of the city in a new jail.
Reiterating the Yamuna river is Delhi's lifeline, Gupta said its cleaning and conservation is a top priority for the government.
The project includes a multiphase and multi-agency plan covering drain treatment, expansion of the sewerage network and establishment of modern STPs. The BJP government approved construction of 27 decentralized STPs under a project costing Rs 3,140 crore.
This includes decentralized sewage treatment plants, terminal STPs, a 10 MGD STP at Delhi Gate and works related to operation and maintenance. The project also includes laying sewer lines under these decentralized STPs, providing household sewer connections and carrying out all related technical works, the statement said.
Through these decentralized sewage treatment plants, most colonies in Delhi will be relieved from the rising water pollution, foul odor and falling groundwater levels, the statement said.
"The government is ensuring that no untreated wastewater flows into the Yamuna. The rejuvenation of the Yamuna is not merely an environmental goal, but a responsibility to future generations that is being carried out with seriousness and urgency," it said.
The STPs will be built within 18 months at Wajidpur Thakran, Mundka, Narela, Bawana, Auchandi, Tajpur Khurd, Kanjhawala, Majri, Ghevda village, Jaunapur, Bijwasan, Salahpur, Punjab Khor, Qutubgarh, Tikri Kalan, Mohammadpur Majri, Nizampur, Jaunti and Bawana among others after the tender is issued. Clear instructions have been issued to officials of all departments concerned to set timelines and ensure implementation in mission mode with the use of latest technology, the statement said. With agency inputs
Published by HT Digital Content Services with permission from Millennium Post.