What Delhi budget has for water management, clean Yamuna and air pollution

Delhi Finance Minister Kailash Gahlot today presented the Budget for the National Capital Territory in the Legislative Assembly. In the Rs 78,800 crore budget, the Delhi government has earmarked funds to tackle the cleanliness situation in Yamuna, as well as air pollution.

The government has announced a six-point action plan to clean up the Yamuna river. Calling the river, the lifeline of the city, Gahlot added that the AAP government will be upgrading sewage treatment plants (STPs) and common effluent drain STPs (CEDSTPs) across the city. The sewer network will also be expanded in the city, providing all households in the city access to sewage connections. This will include extending the sewer connection to hundreds of JJ clusters as well as hundreds of unauthorised colonies. These sewer connections will be provided free of cost.

The government will undertake operations like desilting of sewer networks and trapping and diverting drains. Pollution-causing industrial units will also be shifted to different areas. The sewage treatment capacity will be increased from 373 MGD (million gallons a day) in 2015 to 890 MGD in 2024. The government is also working with the MCD to ensure that the city’s three landfills are emptied out soon.

The budget also talked about the Delhi government’s plan to tackle the annual hazard of air pollution in the city. “PM 10, PM 2.5 pollution in Delhi reduced by over 30 percent in eight years. The number of ‘severe’ air quality days dropped to just 6 in 2022,” Gahlot said.

As part of the continuing effort to deal with air pollution, the Delhi government will plant 52 lakh trees and real-time pollution data labs will be set up in every district in the capital. Additional measures to tackle pollution include using anti-smog gun machines and 250 integrated water sprinkler machines.

There are plans to induct 80 percent of electric buses in the city’s fleet by 2025. This will reduce vehicular carbon emissions by 4.6 lakh tonnes. The government will spend Rs 28,556 crore over the next 12 years to induct electric buses.

The budget was expected to be presented on March 21 but had to be resubmitted to the Union Ministry of Home Affairs for clearance. After seeking clarification from the Delhi government, the budget was finally approved by the central government on Tuesday. The to and fro set off a fresh row between the long-standing power struggle between the Centre and the Aam Aadmi Party-led government in Delhi.