On 20 August 2026, the Delhi Development Authority (DDA) unveiled the Master Plan for Delhi 2047 (MPD-2047), setting out a roadmap to raise the capital's installed sewage treatment capacity to around 1,285 MGD and to make treated wastewater reuse mandatory for non-potable public uses, in response to projected water demand of 1,600 MGD by 2047 ThePrint.
Key takeaways
- MPD-2047 targets roughly 1,285 MGD of installed sewage treatment capacity by 2047, equivalent to treating nearly 80% of supplied water ThePrint.
- Delhi's potable water demand is projected to reach about 1,600 MGD by 2047, leaving a 401 MGD gap over existing capacity, of which 110 MGD is to be added in the short to medium term and 291 MGD through longer-term projects ThePrint.
- The plan calls for all 22 major drains flowing into the Yamuna to be intercepted and their sewage treated, with decentralised STPs and interceptor sewers proposed for dense unplanned areas ThePrint.
- Reuse of treated sewage is to be made mandatory for horticulture, park irrigation and other non-potable public uses, while freshwater use from the Yamuna for irrigation is to be reduced ThePrint.
- Regeneration of older Delhi colonies will require redeveloped projects to include water-reuse systems and decentralised sewage treatment as part of upgraded civic infrastructure The Times of India.
What happened
The Master Plan for Delhi 2047 was prepared by the Delhi Development Authority (DDA) and unveiled by Union Housing and Urban Affairs Minister Manohar Lal on 20 August 2026, with the document projecting a population of 3.2 crore for the capital by 2047 ThePrint.
According to the plan, potable water demand is expected to rise to around 1,600 MGD by 2047, creating an additional requirement of 401 MGD over the existing capacity, to be met in phases through 110 MGD in the short to medium term and 291 MGD from longer-term projects ThePrint.
The plan proposes raising installed sewage treatment capacity to around 1,285 MGD, equivalent to treating nearly 80% of the water supplied, while also requiring that all 22 major drains flowing into the Yamuna be intercepted and their sewage treated, with bio-remediation among the listed measures ThePrint.
For densely populated and unplanned areas where conventional sewer networks are difficult to lay, the plan proposes decentralised sewage treatment plants and interceptor sewer projects, and it takes a stricter stand on pollution, proposing zero tolerance for discharge of untreated industrial effluents, sewage and solid waste into natural water bodies ThePrint.
The plan also calls for making the reuse of treated sewage mandatory for horticulture, park irrigation and other non-potable public uses, reducing pressure on drinking water supplies, and proposes bringing baolis, revived wetlands and artificial water bodies into a city-wide groundwater recharge network ThePrint.
A Delhi Drainage Master Plan is currently under preparation to address the city's drainage requirements over the next 30 years ThePrint.
In a related component of MPD-2047 reported on 6 September 2026, redeveloped older colonies will be required to include modern infrastructure such as water-reuse systems, decentralised sewage treatment, waste segregation, renewable energy systems and multi-level parking The Times of India.
Specification read
The headline scale is 1,285 MGD of installed sewage treatment capacity by 2047, which converts to roughly 4,862,720 m³/day (1 MGD ≈ 3,785 m³/day), and the 401 MGD gap over existing capacity converts to about 1,517,585 m³/day ThePrint. With Delhi's projected population of 3.2 crore, the proposed 1,285 MGD works out to roughly 40 gallons per capita per day of installed sewage treatment capacity against the supplied-water volume of 1,600 MGD, a ratio consistent with a 80% treatment target stated in the plan ThePrint.
A municipal scheme of this class requires a conventional treatment train, typically screening and grit removal, primary clarification, biological treatment (A2O, MBBR, SBR or MBR), tertiary filtration, and disinfection, with the new build and interceptor-sewer work in MPD-2047 sitting mainly at the collection and biological stages ThePrint. The mandatory reuse of treated sewage for horticulture and park irrigation also places a tertiary polishing and disinfection load on every new or upgraded plant feeding non-potable reuse networks ThePrint.
If your plant is a municipal STP handling between roughly 50,000 and 500,000 m³/day of mixed domestic sewage with typical municipal BOD of 150 to 300 mg/L (general industry range, not from the sources) and you are scoping work in the Delhi NCT region, this plan means new interceptor-sewer packages, decentralised STPs for unplanned colonies, and reuse-ready tertiary systems are likely to be tendered over the multi-year horizon to 2047. Operators chasing Delhi Jal Board or DDA bids should expect specifications emphasising interception of the 22 major Yamuna drains, decentralised plants in dense unplanned areas, and reuse-quality effluent for irrigation networks ThePrint.
Equipment and consumables relevant to the biological and reuse stages of such schemes are covered in our Municipal treatment hub and in the Integrated Sewage Treatment product line, which are typically specified for new municipal STPs and decentralised packages of the kind MPD-2047 envisages.
FAQ
What capacity of new sewage treatment is the Delhi 2047 plan targeting?
The plan targets roughly 1,285 MGD (about 4,862,720 m³/day) of installed sewage treatment capacity, equivalent to treating nearly 80% of supplied water, with Delhi's potable water demand projected to reach 1,600 MGD by 2047 ThePrint.
How big is the supply gap and how will it be phased?
There is a 401 MGD (about 1,517,585 m³/day) gap over existing capacity, to be met with 110 MGD in the short to medium term and 291 MGD through longer-term projects ThePrint. Lead times for municipal STPs of this scale are typically 18 to 36 months from award to commissioning (general industry range, not from the sources).
Will the plan drive demand for decentralised STPs and reuse systems?
Yes. MPD-2047 proposes decentralised sewage treatment plants and interceptor sewer projects in dense unplanned areas and makes reuse of treated sewage mandatory for horticulture, park irrigation and other non-potable public uses, and redeveloped older colonies will also be required to include water-reuse systems and decentralised sewage treatment ThePrint The Times of India.
What should suppliers watch for in upcoming tenders?
Tender packages are likely to focus on interceptor sewers for the 22 major Yamuna drains, decentralised STPs for unplanned colonies, and tertiary polishing for reuse networks, with the supporting Delhi Drainage Master Plan due to address the city's drainage requirements over the next 30 years ThePrint. Typical capex for a large municipal STP of this class runs in the hundreds of crores of rupees for multi-hundred-MLD schemes (general industry range, not from the sources), so suppliers should track Delhi Jal Board and DDA procurement portals for package-level notices.
