Delhi Jal Board told the National Green Tribunal (NGT) that work on the Shahdara drain pipeline under the Interceptor Sewer Project was 90 per cent complete, but remained stalled pending permission to resume construction.
Two new sewage treatment plants with a combined capacity of 60 million gallons per day are planned for Delhi’s Trans-Yamuna area, while two existing Yamuna Vihar plants failed to meet prescribed effluent standards.
West Bengal’s State Environment Impact Assessment Authority told NGT that stand-alone brick kilns do not require prior environmental clearance under the EIA Notification, 2006.
NGT ordered a joint committee to investigate a non-functional sewage treatment plant in Bhopal following complaints of wastewater accumulation, overflow and foul odours.
The overall physical progress of laying the ductile iron pipeline along the Shahdara drain under the Interceptor Sewer Project, aimed at trapping sewage from the Kanti Nagar and Old Seelampur drains, stands at 90 per cent, while financial progress is at 48 per cent.
This was stated in a report filed by the Delhi Jal Board (DJB) before the National Green Tribunal (NGT) on October 26, 2026.
According to the report, work has remained on hold since the onset of the monsoon, following restrictions imposed by the Irrigation and Flood Control Department (I&FCD). Permission to resume work is still awaited.
The anticipated completion date is December 31, 2026, subject to receiving the necessary permission from the I&FCD.
As stated in an earlier affidavit, the DJB has proposed constructing two new sewage treatment plants (STP), with capacities of 36 million gallons per day (MGD) and 24 MGD, at Kondli and Jagriti Vihar, respectively, to treat sewage generated in the Trans-Yamuna area.
Cost estimates for the proposed works have been prepared, and tenders are yet to be invited. The projects are expected to be completed by December 2028.
Regarding the Yamuna Vihar STP, the DJB said work orders had already been awarded for constructing a new 20 MGD plant and increasing the capacity of the existing Phase-III plant from 25 MGD to 55 MGD.
Both projects are under way and are expected to be completed by December 2027.
The report also provided an update on the action plan for household sewer connections, covering 34 works and their timelines for achieving full connectivity. Of these, eight have been completed, while 26 remain in progress.
The DJB submitted reports from the Delhi Pollution Control Committee (DPCC) on the quality of treated effluent from the Kondli STPs (Phases I, II, III and IV) and the Yamuna Vihar Phase-II STP for July and August 2026.
According to the DPCC, treated effluent from these five plants met the prescribed standards.
However, the Yamuna Vihar Phase-I and Phase-III STPs were found to be non-compliant with the prescribed standards.
The DJB stated that construction of the new 20 MGD plant at Yamuna Vihar Phase-I and augmentation of the Phase-III plant from 25 MGD to 55 MGD were under way to ensure that the upgraded facilities meet the prescribed effluent quality standards.
The report also outlined action taken or proposed by the Delhi Urban Shelter Improvement Board (DUSIB) and the Municipal Corporation of Delhi (MCD), along with coordination undertaken by the DJB, regarding sewage management in the jhuggi-jhopri (JJ) clusters of Sanjay Colony, Janta Majdur Colony and Taj Colony.
The report stated that Taj Colony is situated in a low-lying pocket, making it technically unfeasible for the DJB to install a conventional gravity-based sewerage network.
DUSIB has therefore been requested to submit an action plan for the safe disposal of sewage from the settlement.
Prior environmental clearance from the State Environment Impact Assessment Authority (SEIAA), West Bengal, is not required for setting up or operating stand-alone brickfields, the authority has stated.
This was disclosed in an affidavit filed by West Bengal SEIAA on October 14, 2026, in compliance with an NGT order dated August 19, 2026, concerning brick kilns in Barabani, Paschim Bardhaman district.
According to the affidavit, under the Environmental Impact Assessment (EIA) Notification, 2006, prior environmental clearance is required only for the categories of projects and activities listed in its schedule.
Since stand-alone brickfields and kilns are not included in the schedule, prior environmental clearance from West Bengal SEIAA is not mandatory, the authority stated.
The matter arose from an application filed before the NGT seeking the closure of allegedly illegal and non-compliant brick kilns operating in Barabani.
The applicant alleged that brickfields in the area were operating without environmental clearance and without obtaining consent to operate from the West Bengal Pollution Control Board.
The National Green Tribunal on October 26, 2026, directed the constitution of a two-member joint committee to investigate a complaint concerning a non-functional sewage treatment plant in Bhopal, Madhya Pradesh.
The committee was directed to visit the site and submit an action-taken report.
The tribunal's central bench also directed notices to be issued to the Madhya Pradesh government through the District Magistrate, Bhopal; the Member Secretary of the Madhya Pradesh Pollution Control Board; the Commissioner of the Bhopal Municipal Corporation; and the Public Relations Officer of Bharat Heavy Electricals Limited (BHEL), Bhopal.
The respondents were directed to submit their replies.
The tribunal took up the matter on the basis of a report published in Bhopal-based Hindi daily Raj Express on October 1, 2026, titled Crores ka sewage treatment plant 6 month se band, aspas gandagi faili’.
According to the application, the BHEL sewage treatment plant at Barkheda Pathani in Bhopal, constructed at a cost of several crores of rupees, has remained non-functional for several months.
The closure has disrupted sewage disposal, with complaints of wastewater accumulating and overflowing within the premises.
Residents and farmers living nearby have reported problems caused by stagnant wastewater and foul odours.