Yamuna’s cleaning drive in Delhi: PM Modi’s pre-election promise now in action

New Delhi, Feb 16 (IANS) During the Delhi Assembly elections, Prime Minister Narendra Modi had promised to clean the Yamuna River if the BJP comes to power after the polls. After the victory of the BJP, as promised the work on this project has already commenced, even before the formation of the new government.

Modern machines like trash skimmers, weed harvesters, and dredging utility crafts were used to start the cleaning process of the Yamuna River on Sunday in the national capital city.

Earlier, Delhi Lt Governor (L-G) V.K. Saxena met the Chief Secretary and Additional Chief Secretary (Irrigation and Flood Control) on Saturday, directing them to begin the cleaning work immediately.

The Lt Governor’s office released videos of the cleaning process, stating that the cleanup of the Yamuna River has started. The machines, including skimmers and dredging utility crafts, are being used to remove waste, weeds, and other debris from the river.

A four-pronged strategy has been developed for the cleaning of the Yamuna River. First, the waste, garbage, and silt accumulated in the river water will be removed. The cleaning of the Najafgarh drain, supplementary drains, and other major drains will also begin.

The third strategy involves daily monitoring of the capacity and output of the existing Sewage Treatment Plants (STPs). The fourth strategy includes preparing a time-bound plan for the construction of new STPs and DSTPs to address the real deficit of approximately 400 MGD of polluted water.

For the implementation of this ambitious plan, seamless coordination between various agencies and departments will be essential, including the Delhi Jal Board, Irrigation and Flood Control, Delhi Municipal Corporation, Environment Department, PWD, and DDA. These efforts will be monitored at a high level on a weekly basis.

The Delhi Pollution Control Committee has been directed to ensure that industrial units in the city do not discharge dirty water into the drains. This step is being taken as part of the efforts to rejuvenate the Yamuna River, improve the quality of its water, and control pollution.

The restoration of the Yamuna began in January 2023 in mission mode when the National Green Tribunal (NGT) formed a high-level committee under the chairmanship of L-G Saxena. The committee’s objective is to control the pollution of the river and take concrete steps for its cleaning. The committee has ordered that industrial units in Delhi must not discharge any dirty or polluted water into the drains.

Following five meetings of the high-level committee overseeing the cleaning efforts, the then Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) government led by Arvind Kejriwal approached the Supreme Court, challenging the NGT order appointing the L-G as the head of a high-level committee on Yamuna River pollution. The then Chief Justice of India, D.Y. Chandrachud, stayed the NGT’s order. Consequently, the Yamuna restoration work was halted, and the COD/BOD levels, which had slightly improved month-on-month, worsened again. Earlier this year, pollution levels reached record highs.

On Sunday, even before the formation of the new government in Delhi, work on cleaning the Yamuna started with floating machines like trash skimmer, dredger and weed harvester starting work near Signature Bridge and ITO, an official said.

The initiative follows Lt Governor V.K. Saxena’s directions to the Chief Secretary and officials of Irrigation and Flood Control to launch a four-pronged strategy to clean the river.

Pollution in the Yamuna and the failure of the outgoing Aam Aadmi Party’s government to clean the river was a major poll plank of the BJP during the campaign.

Leaders of the BJP, which has now come to power in Delhi, had alleged in the run-up to the Assembly elections on February 5 that the AAP government failed to clean the river despite receiving Rs 8,500 crore from the Centre.

On Sunday, the Raj Niwas secretariat confirmed the launch of Clean Yamuna operation in post on X, saying, “As promised by the Prime Minister @narendramodi in the run up to the just concluded Assembly Elections, works on cleaning of Yamuna have already begun in the right earnest, with trash skimmers, weed harvesters and a dredge utility craft already starting cleaning operations in the river today.”

An official said that LG Saxena on Saturday outlined the four-pronged strategy for cleaning the Yamuna.

“To begin with, the trash, garbage and silt in the Yamuna stream will be removed. Simultaneously, cleaning operations will start in the Najafgarh Drain, Supplementary Drain,” the official said.

At the same time, a daily watch on the existing Sewage Treatment Plants in terms of their capacity and output will be maintained, he said.

A time-bound plan in terms of construction of new STPs on drains to meet the actual shortfall of treating about 400 MGD of sewer will be put in place and operationalised, he said.

The execution of this ambitious plan that targets cleaning the river in about three years, will require seamless coordination between various agencies and departments that include DJB, Irrigation and Flood Control department, MCD, Environment Department, PWD and DDA, he said.

–IANS

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