Days before the formation of the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) government in Delhi, a large-scale initiative to clean the polluted Yamuna River was launched on Sunday.
The project, structured around a four-pronged strategy, aims to restore the river within three years.
Officials from Raj Niwas confirmed that cleanup operations have begun using trash skimmers, weed harvesters, and dredgers to clear waste and silt from the river.
Yamuna Cleanup: A Key BJP Election Promise
Reviving the Yamuna was a significant commitment in the BJP’s election manifesto. The party pledged to collaborate with the central government to modernize the riverfront and establish a dedicated fund, the Yamuna Kosh, for restoration efforts. During the BJP’s victory celebrations on February 8, Prime Minister Narendra Modi reaffirmed his commitment to making the Yamuna pollution-free.
Four-Pronged Approach to Cleaning the Yamuna
Delhi Lieutenant Governor (LG) VK Saxena convened a meeting with senior officials on Saturday, directing immediate action on the cleanup plan, which includes:
- Debris and Silt Removal – Clearing accumulated waste and sludge from the Yamuna and major drains like the Najafgarh and Supplementary drains.
- Sewage Treatment – Enhancing existing sewage treatment plants (STPs) and expediting new STPs to treat an additional 400 million gallons per day (MGD) of sewage.
- Inter-Departmental Coordination – Ensuring smooth collaboration among agencies like the Delhi Jal Board (DJB), MCD, PWD, DDA, and others.
- Regulatory Oversight – Strengthening enforcement by the Delhi Pollution Control Committee (DPCC) to prevent industries from discharging untreated effluents.
An official from the LG’s office stated that the project’s execution would be strictly monitored on a weekly basis.
Previous Cleanup Efforts
The AAP government had pledged to rejuvenate the Yamuna within five years after assuming office in 2015. However, a decade later, the river remains heavily polluted despite ₹6,856.91 crore being spent on cleanup initiatives between 2015 and 2021, as reported by The Wire.
In 2015, the National Green Tribunal (NGT) directed the establishment of 32 additional STPs, but by 2019, none had been completed due to land acquisition challenges.
Furthermore, tensions between the Delhi government and neighboring states, particularly Haryana, over the release of ammonia-contaminated water into the Yamuna have worsened the situation.
A large-scale Yamuna rejuvenation project was initiated in January 2023 under a high-level committee (HLC) led by LG Saxena. However, AAP challenged the committee’s formation, leading to a Supreme Court stay on its operations in July 2023.
BJP’s Yamuna Restoration Plan
In its Viksit Delhi Sankalp Patra (Developed Delhi Resolution Document), the BJP outlined an action plan to expand sewage treatment capacity to 1,000 MGD and increase common effluent treatment capacity to 220 million liters per day (MLD).
The BJP secured a landslide victory in the Delhi Assembly elections on February 5, winning 48 out of 70 seats.
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