Following instructions from Delhi’s Lieutenant Governor VK Saxena and the Chief Secretary, cleaning of the Yamuna River started Sunday with trash skimmers, weed harvesters, and dredging equipment. This project started at a meeting where a critical plan for Yamuna cleanup was launched.
Four-Pronged Strategy Targets Pollution in the Yamuna
Including cleaning in major drains such the Najafgarh Drain and Supplementary Drain, the office of the Lieutenant Governor set forth a four-point plan aimed at river pollution; this involved trash, waste, and silt extraction from the Yamuna waterway.
Daily monitoring of STP capacity and output as well as a time-sensitive strategy for building new STPs to tackle the deficiency of treatment projected at 400 MGD are also part of this proposal.
Three-Year Timeline Set for River Restoration
Three years from now, the goal is to clear the river with great attention on coordination among several institutions including the Delhi Jal Board (DJB), Irrigation and Flood Control Department (IandFC), Municipal Corporation of Delhi (MCD), Environment Department, Public Works Department (PWD), and Delhi Development Authority (DDA). Weekly progress checks will be carried out, and the Delhi Pollution Control Committee (DPCC) will see to it that industrial units do not release unprocessed water into the drains.
BJP’s Election Promise Drives Urgent Action on Yamuna Clean-Up
Ahead of the Delhi Assembly elections, the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP)’s prominent campaign promise was the vow to clean the Yamuna. Before the elections, Arvind Kejriwal had accused the Haryana government of polluting the river; Prime Minister Narendra Modi pledged the Yamuna would become the “identity of Delhi.
PM Modi: “Yamuna Ji Will Become Delhi’s Identity”
Yamuna ji will become the face of Delhi. Certainly, this is not very hard. Regardless of how much time or effort is spent, if the will is strong, then Yamuna ji’s blessings will be upon us,” the Prime Minister declared following the BJP’s victory.
Union Minister Harsh Malhotra repeated that the Yamuna cleaning initiative would be finished within the schedule, emphasizing strongly on waste reduction.
The revival started in January 2023 when the National Green Tribunal (NGT) directed the formation of a top-level committee chaired by L-G Saxena to deal with the pollution. The committee ordered factory units not to release polluted water into the drains.
Under Arvind Kejriwal’s prior Aam Aadmi Party government, the NGT order was challenged in the Supreme Court, leading the restoration work to be halted for some time. Earlier this year pollution levels had hit all-time highs.
