A 'Yamuna Master Plan' has been prepared by the central government, and it will soon be submitted to Prime Minister Narendra Modi for his approval to clean the river in Delhi in mission mode.
Cleaning the Yamuna was a key poll promise by the BJP for the Delhi elections. It was also a primary political flashpoint between the AAP and the BJP while campaigning. Last week, under Delhi Lieutenant Governor VK Saxena's order, the process of cleaning Yamuna began in line with PM Modi's electoral promise to tackle the national capital's pollution emergency.
According to sources, for the 'Yamuna Master Plan', the Jal Shakti Ministry consulted experts who built Gujarat's Sabarmati river front. Additionally, a few meetings have also been held by the ministry, sources said.
Earlier, India Today reported that the Yamuna cleaning project comprises four important elements - removal of waste and slits, cleaning of major drains, strict monitoring of sewage treatment plants, and expansion of treatment infrastructure.
After taking oath as the fourth woman Chief Minister of Delhi, Rekha Gupta, along with her cabinet ministers, reached Vasudev Ghat to perform Yamuna aarti.
A video shared by the Delhi BJP showed Gupta, along with party leaders Baijayant Jay Panda, Parvesh Verma, Ashish Sood, Manjinder Singh Sirsa, and Kapil Mishra, performing the aarti.
Rising levels of pollutants in Yamuna saw both the AAP and the BJP taking potshots at one another over the matter. AAP chief Arvind Kejriwal alleged the BJP-ruled Haryana was mixing "poison" into the river to disrupt the national capital's water supply. However, both the party and the state dismissed the allegation.
Meanwhile, the Supreme Court on Tuesday said that considering the "changed circumstances" in Delhi, there is a possibility of improved implementation of plans, including the clearning of Yamuna.
A bench of Justices BR Gavai and Augustine George Masih made the remarks while hearing the case titled 'Remediation of Polluted Rivers', which addresses the issue of Yamuna contamination.
Source: India Today