Interceptor sewer for abatement of pollution in surface water

Abstract

Unplanned population growth in urban cities has largely caused unplanned habitations called slums. Due to various complexities, service providers are unable to provide basic amenities, i.e., water, roads, sanitation, and sewerage in these slums. Water, being the basic need for human survival, is either managed by these residents by extracting groundwater or the minimum required water is provided by the government through water tankers or tube wells. In the absence of sewerage facilities, sewage is discharged directly into stormwater drains, rivers, ponds, lakes, etc. It contaminates the freshwater of these water bodies. The Yamuna River (22 km stretch) from the Wazirabad Barrage to the Okhla Barrage, and about 600 lakes in Delhi, India, are highly polluted. To avoid such severe events of contamination of water resources, it is necessary to develop a system to intercept wastewater at the source, transfer it to the nearest sewage treatment plant, and treat it to the required discharge standard, called the interceptor sewer. This case study is an outcome of a successful mega project of an interceptor sewer along three major drains (Najafgarh, Supplementary, and Shahadra) for the abatement of pollution in river Yamuna, Delhi. HIGHLIGHTS The interceptor sewer project will reduce the organic and pathogenic pollution in river Yamuna.; An interceptor sewer will trap wastewater at the source and convey it to STPs.; Success of an interceptor sewer depends on the lateral coordination and cooperation of various stakeholders.; CPCB and DPCC must monitor river water quality regularly and instruct the concerned authorities.;

Keywords

• delhi
• pollution abatement
• sewer interception
• water bodies
• yamuna river