Delhi Government Ramps Up Efforts to Clean the Yamuna River

Delhi's Chief Minister Rekha Gupta inspects city drains, intensifying efforts to clean the Yamuna alongside Lieutenant Governor Vinai Kumar Saxena. Following a BJP election push, the Territorial Army will soon deploy to protect the river from pollution and encroachment, aiming for significant environmental improvements.

On Thursday, Delhi Chief Minister Rekha Gupta conducted an inspection of the supplementary drain at Wazirabad, an initiative aimed at addressing water pollution in the capital. Joining the Chief Minister were Delhi Lieutenant Governor Vinai Kumar Saxena and Minister Parvesh Verma, as they also surveyed the Barapullah Bridge drainage area near the Nizamuddin Bridge.

The focus on cleaning the Yamuna intensifies following the BJP's significant election victory, with the party securing 48 out of 70 Assembly seats. As part of their commitment, trash skimmers, weed harvesters, and dredging vehicles were introduced to the river shortly after the elections. Pollution concerns were hot topics during the campaign, with parties exchanging criticisms over handling flood management and river encroachment issues.

In efforts to protect the Yamuna, the Delhi Government sought the Territorial Army's help to prevent dumping, mining, and encroachment. The army's Ecological Task Force deployment is expected soon. Concurrently, the LG launched an aggressive cleanup operation along the Yamuna floodplains, backed by a 94-member Territorial Army company to maintain progress. Under the Yamuna Master Plan, a sustainable and strategic framework leads environmental improvement efforts.

(With inputs from agencies.)