NEWS

A new scheme proposed to clean the Yamuna is on a shaky ground even before it could take off. The project consultant, the Engineers India Limited ( EIL), had told the Delhi government while seeking approval that the fresh plan was similar to the one being followed successfully in Bangkok. But the government has found the model the city uses is in no way similar to the one proposed for Delhi. A Delhi government team led by finance and urban development minister A. K. Walia had visited Bangkok last week to check the efficacy of the proposal. The government hoped the new scheme that costs nearly Rs 2,100 crore would help clean the Yamuna over the next eight years. But the latest revelations that the efficiency of the new scheme has not been tested till now are worrying, said officials. The EIL, a central government agency that offers engineering and technical consultancy, was hired by the government to prepare a detailed project report for the fresh scheme. Water and sewage from 18 big drains across the city is currently released into the Yamuna. The new plan proposes to divert this muck from drains by constructing new interceptor sewers to sewage treatment plants for cleaning before it is released in the river. But sewers in Delhi are illegally connected to stormwater drains. Unlike in Bangkok, here we actually have to divert drain water for cleaning," said the official. Drains in Delhi are also uncovered, unlike in Bangkok where drains are covered, allowing people to dump solid waste and plastic that will choke treatment plants, said the official.