Jaipur: The Jaipur Development Authority’s plan to redevelop stretches of the rain-fed Dravyavati River on the lines of Mumbai’s Chowpatty has run into a major hurdle, with parts of the river heavily polluted by toxic foam and untreated sewage.The situation at some stretches became serious enough for Urban Development and Housing secretary Debasish Prusty to inspect the site on Saturday. After the visit, JDA engineers began working on measures to control the pollution and restore normal conditions.A senior JDA engineer said that during the Dravyavati Restoration Project under the Vasundhara Raje govt, the authority had engaged Tata Projects as the turnkey contractor. As part of that work, four Sewerage Treatment Plants with a combined capacity of 170 MLD were built along the river to treat contaminated drain water before it entered the Dravyavati.The engineer said the problem worsened after the plants became operational, when Jaipur Municipal Corporation allegedly linked additional drainage lines to the river without JDA approval. These lines were not connected to any treatment plants, resulting in untreated sewage flowing directly into the river.“We had plans to construct another STP along the bank. But a court case on land acquisition is pending. Following the UDH secretary’s visit we have found a temporary solution. It was decided to connect these additional drainage lines to a defunct old STP located at Taru Chaya Nagar in Pratap Nagar area. We will restore the STP and connect these lines with this STP soon,” the engineer stated.Officials said the proposed arrangement would be temporary but effective. The old STP can treat 60-65 MLD, while an extra 10-15 MLD of sewage is currently entering and polluting the river.“Once we complete it, we will start developing the banks. We are in the process of identifying stretches that can be developed as Chowpatty,” another official added.
