Yamuna cleaning operation begins with 'four-pronged strategy,' aims to restore river in 3 years
In a move aligning with the BJP's pre-election promises during the Delhi Assembly polls, the cleaning of the Yamuna River began on Sunday. BJP MLA-elect Raj Kumar Bhatia expressed optimism about the river's future cleanliness and stated that festivals like Chhath Puja could soon be celebrated on its banks.
"Today the cleaning of Yamuna has started under the leadership of LG VK Saxena...trash skimmers, weed harvesters and a dredge utility craft are being used to clean the River...The program has been started in four layers...All this depends on the willingness of the government...In the past government (Arvind Kejriwal's regime), such schemes were made too, but he (Arvind Kejriwal) moved to the SC and tried to stop the Yojanas...I hope that in the upcoming days, the Yamuna will be clean, and festivals like Chhath Puja will be celebrated on its banks...," Bhatia told ANI.
Bhatia highlighted the start of the cleaning efforts under the leadership of Delhi Lieutenant Governor VK Saxena. He mentioned that a variety of cleaning equipment, including trash skimmers, weed harvesters, and dredge utility craft, were deployed for the operation. Bhatia emphasised the importance of government willingness for such initiatives and recalled previous attempts under the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) government, led by Arvind Kejriwal, which were hindered by legal challenges.
The Lieutenant Governor's office confirmed that a comprehensive plan, termed the 'four-pronged strategy,' has been set in motion to address the pollution in the river. The first step involves the removal of trash, garbage, and silt from the Yamuna stream, while cleaning operations will also be initiated in major drains like Najafgarh Drain and the Supplementary Drain.
For the other two methods, the statement added, "3. At the same time, a daily watch on the existing STPs in terms of their capacity and output will be maintained, and a time-bound plan in terms of construction of new STPs/DSTPs, etc., to meet the actual shortfall of treating about 400 MGD of sewer will be put in place and operationalised."
A three-year timeline has been set for the ambitious project, with officials stressing the need for seamless coordination among various departments, including the Delhi Jal Board (DJB), Irrigation and Flood Control (I&FC), Municipal Corporation of Delhi (MCD), Environment Department, Public Works Department (PWD), and the Delhi Development Authority (DDA).
"The execution of this ambitious plan that targets cleaning the river in about 3 years will require seamless coordination between various agencies and departments that include DJB, I&FC, MCD, Environment Department, PWD and DDA," the statement read.
ANI inputs