Clean Yamuna top priority

New Delhi: With the change in government in the national capital, an action plan to rejuvenate the Yamuna River has been submitted to the Prime Minister's Office (PMO), focusing on enhancing sewage treatment capacity and implementing other critical measures, officials said on Wednesday.

The Delhi Pollution Control Committee (DPCC), under the Department of Environment, presented a comprehensive document to the PMO last week detailing strategies for cleaning and rejuvenating the river.

The plan, outlines key initiatives such as tapping major drains, setting up new sewage treatment plants (STPs), integrating drainage systems in JJ clusters, trapping all drains, upgrading common effluent treatment plants (CETPs), removing encroachments from floodplains, and beautifying the riverfront.

Cleaning the Yamuna was a central issue in the recent Delhi assembly elections, with the BJP criticizing the previous AAP government for failing to rehabilitate the river during its decade-long tenure. After securing 48 out of 70 assembly seats, the newly elected BJP government has prioritized the Yamuna’s restoration.

According to the document sent to the PMO, the DPCC has classified the 48-km stretch of the Yamuna from Palla to Asgarpur village as a "Priority-1" polluted stretch. A major concern highlighted is the high Biochemical Oxygen Demand (BOD) levels, which significantly exceed the desired standard of 3 mg/l. To improve water quality, the report stresses the need for a minimum environmental flow (E-flow) of 23 cumecs (437 MGD).

Additionally, a drone survey is being conducted to identify and remove further encroachments. The plan also includes the development of 11 biodiversity parks and wetland areas spanning approximately 1,600 hectares to enhance the riverfront’s beauty and ecological health.