Yamuna River
– Photo: Amar Ujala
Expansion
Delhi Lieutenant Governor VK Saxena on Friday took another important step towards the rejuvenation of Yamuna. Describing the need for seamless coordination between the authorities of Haryana and Delhi, he said that rejuvenation of Yamuna is a national mission. For this, seamless coordination between the two states is necessary. Till now, all the efforts of Delhi to clean the Yamuna proved to be insufficient, because proper efforts were not made by Haryana in terms of pollution control. The LG held detailed discussions with officials of both the states in a meeting on solid waste disposal and bio-enhanced mining.
As per the order of NGT for the rejuvenation of Yamuna, LG took the initiative and started a dialogue with the Chief Minister of Haryana. Issues related to Yamuna were discussed in several rounds of meetings. The LG expressed the need for concerted efforts from both the states to identify and control the source of pollution, especially in the Yamuna river, in Delhi and Haryana. Only Delhi’s pollution control exercise proved to be insufficient, as pollution from sources in Haryana was not tightened.
Najafgarh drain responsible for 70 percent pollution
It was told in the meeting that Najafgarh Nala is responsible for 70 per cent pollution in Yamuna. 40% untreated discharge is flowing from Gurgaon (L-1, L-2 and L-3 drains) in Haryana. Similarly, a large amount of industrial waste from Mangeshpur and Bhupania drains in Haryana is also flowing into Najafgarh drain and supplementary drain of Kundli. Apart from these, just before the Yamuna enters Delhi, the drains of Panipat and Kundli are also being released directly. It was also indicated that unless the Najafgarh drain and the eight drains before entering the Yamuna are treated, even the cleaning being done in Delhi will prove insufficient to control the situation.
Haryana’s trust- will achieve the goal of cleanliness in the stipulated time
Haryana officials informed about the efforts being made by the state. He assured the LG that Delhi would accelerate the pace of works to achieve its targets within the stipulated time. It was also decided that Haryana would also participate in the meeting of the high level committee on Yamuna to be chaired by LG. In the meeting, the committee also appreciated the efforts of MCD for disposal of solid waste for rejuvenation of Yamuna.
It was also decided in the meeting that seamless coordination of all agencies would be enhanced for cleaning of drains and Yamuna. This will further facilitate the achievement of the respective targets set by the High Level Committee. Officials were instructed to ensure water drainage by regularly visiting Najafgarh drain, STP and CETP. The LG also appreciated the efforts of Haryana Chief Minister in the rejuvenation of Yamuna. The meeting was also attended by Chief Secretaries of Haryana and Delhi, officials of local bodies and concerned agencies of both the states.