Haryana Achieves Major Gains in Yamuna Pollution Control Drive, Chief Secretary Anurag Rastogi Reviews Progress

State expands STPs, CETPs and adopts drone-based monitoring to curb polluted discharge into Delhi

Chandigarh, May 2026 – In a major step towards rejuvenating the Yamuna River and reducing pollution entering Delhi through inter-state drains, the Haryana Government has launched an extensive action plan focusing on sewage treatment, industrial waste management and real-time monitoring of drain pollution.

Haryana Chief Secretary Sh. Anurag Rastogi on Tuesday reviewed the progress of the state’s comprehensive pollution control strategy aimed at preventing contaminated water from Haryana drains from entering Delhi through the Yamuna river system. The review meeting focused on strengthening sewage treatment infrastructure, reducing Biochemical Oxygen Demand (BOD) levels and ensuring strict monitoring of industrial discharge across the state.

During the meeting, officials reviewed the implementation of directions issued by the Ministry of Home Affairs regarding sewerage and industrial waste management by Haryana. The discussions also covered pollution control measures for inter-state drains entering Delhi from Haryana, including Drain No. 6, Mungeshpur Drain, Bupania Drain, Palam Vihar Drain, etc.

Chairman, Haryana State Pollution Control Board, Sh. Vinay Pratap Singh informed that Haryana will undertake zone-wise drone surveys to map all drains and sub-drains discharging into the Yamuna and monitor both water flow and water quality. The initiative is aimed at identifying pollution hotspots and strengthening source-level monitoring, on the lines of similar surveys being conducted in Delhi.

The review highlighted that Haryana has already operationalised 90 Sewage Treatment Plants (STPs) with a combined treatment capacity of 1,518 MLD across 34 towns. Additionally, four STPs with a treatment capacity of 170 MLD are under construction, while nine STPs covering 227 MLD are being upgraded to improve treatment efficiency.

On the industrial side, 17 Common Effluent Treatment Plants (CETPs) with a combined capacity of 184.5 MLD are operational in the state. Two CETPs with a capacity of 19 MLD are under upgradation, while eight new CETPs with a capacity of 146 MLD have been proposed to strengthen industrial wastewater treatment infrastructure.

Officials further informed that nine new STPs with a proposed treatment capacity of 510 MLD are planned under the future expansion strategy. The Haryana Pollution Control Board has also prepared a detailed action plan covering STPs, CETPs and drain tapping projects to ensure compliance with pollution control norms. Work on different components of the project is already underway, with timelines ranging from December 2025 to December 2028.

The state has also set ambitious water quality targets under the Yamuna Action Plan-2019. Haryana aims to achieve B-Class water quality standards in the river, including BOD levels of 3 mg/litre or below, dissolved oxygen levels of at least 5 mg/litre, and coliform levels within prescribed limits. Regular monitoring and review mechanisms are being put in place to track progress and ensure effective implementation.

As part of the source-control strategy, Haryana also plans to introduce in-situ treatment facilities on all major drains in coordination with the Irrigation Department to treat pollutants before they spread downstream. Officials said the coordinated efforts between Haryana and Delhi are expected to significantly improve the ecological health of the Yamuna River in the coming years.

Additional Chief Secretary, Environment, Forests & Wildlife, Sh. Sudhir Rajpal, Additional Chief Secretary, Irrigation & Water Resources, Sh. Anurag Agarwal, Member Secretary, Haryana State Pollution Control Board, Sh. Yogesh Kumar, and other senior officers were present in the meeting.