Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) MP Praveen Khandelwal on Monday accused the previous Aam Aadmi Party (AAP)-led Delhi government of neglecting the Yamuna River clean-up project, claiming that machines meant for the task had been lying unused for the past one and a half years.
“The machines which are now being used for cleaning the Yamuna River were lying in Delhi for the last one and a half years, and the government of that time believed in the politics of quarrels and lies, so they did not use these machines properly,” he said.
Highlighting the progress under the new administration, Khandelwal asserted that the Yamuna cleanup will now be carried out effectively.
“Now that the situation in Delhi has changed, the cleaning of the Ganga and Yamuna will definitely be done. Prime Minister Narendra Modi had promised the people of Delhi that we would start cleaning the Yamuna immediately, so his promise is being implemented completely, and the people of Delhi are very happy about this,” he added.
Notably, the Yamuna cleaning process commenced in New Delhi on Monday.
Delhi’s Additional Chief Secretary Navin Kumar Choudhary stated that, following directions from higher authorities, the Yamuna will be cleaned within the next three years, before 2027. The cleanup will take place in three to four phases, starting with the removal of solid waste from the riverbed.
Speaking to the media on Monday, Choudhary explained, “As per the directions by the highest level, we will clean Yamuna in the next three years before 2027. The work will be done in 3-4 steps. The first is to remove the solid waste from the riverbed—that work is progressing well—and to repair all the sewage treatment plants (STPs). We will also ensure that no chemical is discharged into Yamuna without proper treatment.”
The cleaning of the Yamuna, which has frequently witnessed toxic foam formation due to untreated waste and pollution, was a key promise made by the BJP before winning the Delhi Assembly elections.
The BJP secured a historic victory in the Delhi Assembly elections, forming the government in the National Capital after 27 years. The party won 48 out of 70 seats, while AAP saw a dramatic decline from its previous tally of 62 to just 22 seats.