Yamuna merely a drain, SC told

The Central Pollution Control Board (CPCB) on Friday told the Supreme Court that there is no proper drainage system in Delhi which resulted into “under-utilisation” of 37 per cent of the sewage treatment plants (STPs).

Submitting a draft report, CPCB counsel Vijay Punwani claimed before a bench of justices Swatanter Kumar and S J Mukhopadhaya that Yamuna has turned into a drain after Wazirabad here as industrial and domestic effluents are directly released into it.

The court has directed the CPCB to complete the joint inspection of all those STPs within three weeks and file a final inspection report.

It also invited different authorities to suggest for establishing proper drainage system in the national capital.

“It is stated Delhi does not have proper drainage system. Yamuna is merely a drain. It does not have fresh water after Wazirabad. Out of 30 STPs, it is noted that they are underutilized upto 37 per cent.”

“Be as that may be, it is reflected that the state of affairs is pathetic,” the court said, while inviting suggestions to clean up the Yamuna.

The court posted the matter on November 30 for further hearing. The court has initiated suo motu proceedings on the basis of a newspaper report pointing out the issue of pollution in river Yamuna in 1994.