New Delhi (India), February 16: Following a meeting between Delhi Lieutenant Governor V K Saxena and the Chief Secretary of the national capital, a directive was issued on Sunday to immediately begin cleaning the Yamuna River. Trash skimmers, weed harvesters, and dredge utility vehicles were deployed to the river as part of a coordinated effort.
A statement from the Lieutenant Governor’s office outlined a ‘four-pronged strategy’ to combat pollution in the Yamuna. The first step involves removing trash, garbage, and silt from the river’s stream. Simultaneously, cleaning operations will begin in the Najafgarh Drain, Supplementary Drain, and other major drains feeding into the Yamuna.
Additionally, the strategy includes the establishment of a daily monitoring system for existing Sewage Treatment Plants (STPs), with a plan to address the shortfall in treating around 400 million gallons per day (MGD) of sewerage. Plans for the construction of new STPs and Decentralized Sewage Treatment Plants (DSTPs) will also be implemented to improve the situation.
The office has set a three-year timeline to clean the river, emphasizing the need for coordinated efforts between several government agencies, including the Delhi Jal Board (DJB), Irrigation and Flood Control (I&FC), Municipal Corporation of Delhi (MCD), Environment Department, Public Works Department (PWD), and Delhi Development Authority (DDA).
The Lieutenant Governor has also ordered weekly monitoring of progress, with the Delhi Pollution Control Committee (DPCC) tasked with maintaining strict vigilance over the discharge of untreated industrial effluents into the drains.
Cleaning the Yamuna has been a key promise of the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) following their victory in the Delhi Assembly elections. During the campaign, the river’s pollution became a major issue, with accusations directed at both the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) and BJP regarding the river’s condition.
Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal had previously claimed that the Haryana government was responsible for polluting the river, while Prime Minister Narendra Modi pledged that the BJP would make “Yamuna ji the identity of Delhi” ahead of the election.
The BJP won the Delhi Assembly elections with a historic mandate, securing 48 out of 70 seats, while AAP won 22 seats, a significant drop from its previous total of 62.
Union Minister Harsh Malhotra reaffirmed the BJP’s commitment on February 13, stating that work on cleaning the Yamuna would begin promptly and be completed within the set timeframe. “Our priority is to bring the garbage mounts to ground zero,” Malhotra said.