What is Pollution?
Countering government policies: The forces of nature
According to the DPCC report, 5 of the 27 drains failed to meet pollution standards after the monsoon, while the Yamuna was the cleanest it had ever been. The Delhi government has released a new drainage master plan that aims to improve the quality of the water in the drains by 20% over the next five years and increase the city's drainage capacity.
New Delhi: The Delhi Pollution Control Committee's September report shows that five of the 27 drains reopened after the monsoon and floods failed to meet anti-pollution standards. However, the Yamuna River remained the cleanest in its recorded history. This month, the Delhi government released its Drainage Master Plan after nearly half a century. It aims to improve drain water quality by 20 percent over the next five years.
According to DPCC standards, the water should have a BOD (Biochemical Oxygen Demand) of no more than 30 mg/l and a TSS (Total Suspended Solids) of no more than 100 mg/l. These drains discharge wastewater directly into the Yamuna.
Many drains could not be tested.
According to the report, drains like the Khyber Pass and Magazine Road drains, which often do not have water in other months, also failed the BOD or TSS standards. The Khyber Pass drain recorded a BOD of 34 mg/l and a TSS of 116 mg/l. The Sweeper Colony drain had a TSS of 113 mg/l, the Magazine Road drain had a TSS of 112 mg/l and a BOD of 88 mg/l. The Tonga Stand drain had a TSS of 110 mg/l, and the Civil Mile drain had a BOD of 62 mg/l. Due to the flooding, water from some drains, such as the Kailash Nagar, Shastri Park, and Old Agra drain, could not be tested.
Yamuna River is the Cleanest on Record
The good news is that the Yamuna River is the cleanest in recorded history. This is due to the release of large amounts of water from upstream, which has maintained a strong flow in the river. Water quality has improved in some drains, such as Najafgarh, ISBT, and Metcalf. However, pollution levels have increased in the Sen Nursing, Barapullah, and Maharani Bagh drains.
Delhi Government Unveils Drainage Master Plan
In September, the Delhi government unveiled its Drainage Master Plan. The plan aims to improve the water quality of outfall drains by 20 percent in terms of indicators such as BOD and TSS over the next five years. Within three years, Delhi aims to increase its drainage capacity. It will now be able to handle 51.5 mm/hour of rainfall, compared to 25 mm/hour when the previous plan was formulated in 1978.