Only 2 of Delhi's 18 drains pass the important test

The latest water analysis report released by the Delhi Pollution Control Committee (DPCC) revealed that only two of the 18 major drains in Delhi met the biological oxygen demand (BOD) standard of 30mg/litre or less in the month of August, indicating that significant effort is still needed to control sewage and industrial effluents flowing through these drains into the Yamuna.

The Shahdara drain, which had a BOD value of 53 mg/litre in August, was found to be Delhi's most contaminated drain. In the most recent sample collection report from June, the BOD value in the drain was 58 mg/litre, which suggested marginal improvement. Due to the Delhi floods, DPCC was unable to collect samples from the drains in July.

The Metcalf House drain (28mg/litre) and the Khyber Pass drain (30mg/litre) were the only two drains to meet the BOD criteria.

According to a report dated August 11 the DPCC monitored only 2 of Delhi's 18 drains pass an important test.