Take clean up of Yamuna as a challenge: Ramesh to Delhi govt

"It is really very very unacceptable that in the capital city of India, only about 60 per cent of sewage is being treated and that too on paper as the capacity utilisation of the effluent plants is dismally low," Ramesh said at a function here today.
He pointed out that while Delhi generates about 3,800 million litres of sewage per day, only 2,500 mld is being treated. So, almost 60 per cent treatment capacity is there but probably the capacity is much lower.

Asking Chief Minister Sheila Dikshit to take the Yamuna river cleanliness programme as a challenge, he said that there was no shortage of money as almost Rs 1,200 crores has been made available through Yamuna Action Plan.
"We have set up Ganga River Basin Authority to make the Ganga pollution free and same should be done in the case of Yamuna but the outcome is not very impressive. We should ensure not to discharge any effluent in any water body or in Yamuna, be it municipal or industrial sewage," Ramesh said.

With Delhi taking steps to move the industries to its outskirts, the industrial effluent has been declining while the sewage from the domestic household is on increase.
"We should ensure that Delhi should not dislodge any sewage in Yamuna by 2012. It's not an easy task but it can be achieved with better strategy and involving right minded people," the Minister added.