A boatman moves through a froth laden polluted Yamuna river at Kalindi Kunj in New Delhi
Highlights
- Started work on war footing for cleaning Yamuna river: Arvind Kejriwal
- Delhi govt has developed six actions points to clean Yamuna river
- Specific milestones decided for each action point, personally monitoring: CM
Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal has said that the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) government will clean the Yamuna river and that he will take a dip in it ahead of the next Assembly elections. Addressing the media today, Kejriwal said that the government has prepared a a six-point action plan to clean the Yamuna river.
"It took 70 years for river Yamuna to become this dirty, it can't be cleaned within two days. I had promised people in these Delhi polls that it would be cleaned by the next polls. We have started work on war-footing. We have 6 action points over it, I am personally monitoring it," the Chief Minister said.
In the first action plan, Kejriwal said that the government is working on sewer treatment on war-footing. "First, new sewer treatment plants are being built. Second, the capacity of existing plants is being increased, Third, the technology of old treatment plants is being changed. Fourth, waste from Jhuggi Jhopri clusters that goes into rivers will now be merged into sewers. Fifth, the government will install sewer connections in areas where people haven't taken sewer connections, Sixth, desilting, rehabilitation of sewers will be done.
The government will shut down the industries discharging industrial waste into the Yamuna, the AAP leader said.
"Our engineers and officers are hopeful that we will be able to clean the Yamuna by February 2025 with the implementation of the six-point action plan. Specific targets have been set for each action point and I will personally monitor the progress," Kejriwal said.
The Kejriwal government recently faced criticism from opposition leaders over the pollution of the Yamuna river during the Chhath festival.
READ MORE: Kejriwal govt got Rs 2,419 cr for cleaning river: BJP's big charge over toxic Yamuna
