DPCC to install 41 online stations to monitor Yamuna water quality

The Delhi Pollution Control Committee (DPCC) has floated a tender for the supply, installation and commissioning of 41 online monitoring stations (OLMS) to track water quality across the Yamuna and major drains in the city, up from 32 units planned earlier.

The project will also include five years of operation and maintenance, ensuring round-the-clock monitoring and transmission of data to the DPCC server.

According to the tender, six river locations — including stretches of the Yamuna and other rivers — will be equipped with systems to measure flow, pH, biological oxygen demand (BOD), chemical oxygen demand (COD), total suspended solids (TSS), total nitrogen (TN), total phosphorus (TP), ammonium, dissolved oxygen, temperature and conductivity.

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In addition, 35 drains discharging directly or indirectly into the Yamuna will be fitted with OLMS to track parameters such as flow, pH, BOD, COD, TSS, total organic carbon (TOC) and conductivity.

The decision follows a Delhi High Court order dated April 8, 2024, and was finalised at the 70th DPCC Board meeting and a review meeting chaired by the Director General of the National Mission for Clean Ganga (NMCG) on July 24, 2025.

Officials said the online stations will function in compliance with the latest guidelines and standard operating procedures issued by the Central Pollution Control Board (CPCB).

Earlier, the plan was to set up 32 online monitoring stations along the Yamuna river and various open drains to access real-time data on pollutants. The number has now been increased to 41.

The purpose of the project is to track contaminants entering the heavily polluted water body and take timely action to mitigate them.

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The DPCC is responsible for installing these water quality monitoring systems, which will measure a range of parameters including BOD, COD, TSS, TN and ammonia.