Noida Board approves large wastewater-treatment plan for Yamuna pollution

The Noida Authority board has sanctioned a phased initiative to treat wastewater from city drains before it enters the Kondli drain and ultimately the Yamuna River. In partnership with CSIR-NEERI, the project will intercept and treat dozens of polluted stormwater drains using technologies including MBBR and bioremediation, with significant funds allocated over the coming years to improve river water quality.

Noida Authority board on Saturday approved a phased plan to treat wastewater flowing through city drains, clearing a long-pending proposal to intercept sewage before it enters the Kondli irrigation drain and ultimately the Yamuna, officials said. The approval follows directions of National Green Tribunal (NGT) in the Abhisht Kusum Gupta vs State of UP case, which required urban authorities to ensure untreated wastewater is not discharged into irrigation drains.

In compliance with the NGT's Aug 3, 2022 order, the Authority engaged CSIR-National Environmental Engineering Research Institute (NEERI) to assess pollution loads in drains discharging into the Kondli drain and recommend suitable treatment measures. An MoU between the authority and NEERI was signed on July 21, 2022.

NEERI assessed around 30 drains within Noida Authority area and found that 24 are currently active, while the remaining are either dry or carry no discharge. The active drains were assigned codes from D1 to D24 and categorised based on discharge volume and pollution levels.

As part of ongoing compliance, several drains have already been intercepted. Drain D20 has been trapped at the sewage pumping station (SPS) in the Hosiery Complex area, while drains D6, D7 and D8 were intercepted at sump wells in Sector 33. No further work is required for Drain D2, which is dry, and Drain D5, which carries treated effluent from STP-54 and merges into the irrigation drain in Sector 23. The board also approved timelines to intercept additional drains by June 2026. Drains D10 and D11 will be tapped at the sewage treatment plant (STP) in Sector 50, while Drain D18 will be intercepted at the SPS in Bhangel, Sector 106, to divert sewage to treatment facilities.

For major drains with high pollution loads, the Authority cleared the construction of dedicated STPs. Detailed project reports (DPRs) prepared by NEERI for Drain D3 near Summer Villa School in Sector 22, Drain D21 along Gejha Road near the biodiversity park, and Drain D24 running from Sector 126 towards Mayur School were approved. These plants, based on Moving Bed Biofilm Reactor (MBBR) technology, will be developed at a combined estimated cost of about Rs 75 crore and are targeted for completion by June 2027.

An STP for Drain D22, which runs from the Mahamaya Flyover area in Sector 44 towards Panchsheel, was also approved. This facility will involve an estimated investment of Rs 127.5 crore, with completion scheduled by June 2027.For other major drains—D4, D9, D12, D15, D16 and D19—NEERI will submit DPRs at a later stage. Treatment works for these drains will be taken up in subsequent phases, with timelines extending up to Dec 2028.

Low- and moderate-pollution drains, including D13, D14, D17 and D23, will be treated using bioremediation and phytoremediation methods near existing sewage pumping stations, which officials said are suitable given their lower discharge volumes. During the meeting, officials also noted correspondence with the Central Pollution Control Board (CPCB), which clarified that it does not approve sewage treatment technologies.

Compliance will instead be assessed against discharge standards prescribed by state pollution control boards through the consent mechanism. With approval in place, the Authority will proceed with inviting expressions of interest, evaluating proposals through a technical committee, and issuing requests for proposals for construction, operation and maintenance of the approved projects. Officials said the phased implementation is expected to significantly strengthen wastewater management and address long-standing pollution concerns in drains feeding the Yamuna.