Union Home Minister and Minister of Cooperation Amit Shah on Thursday attended the inauguration and foundation-stone-laying ceremony of Yamuna rejuvenation projects worth ₹8,941 crore in Delhi. Lieutenant Governor Taranjit Singh Sandhu, Chief Minister Rekha Gupta and other dignitaries were present on the occasion.
Over 40% Progress Made Towards Yamuna Rejuvenation
Addressing the gathering, HM Shah said projects worth nearly ₹9,000 crore had been inaugurated or initiated to clean the Yamuna. He said Prime Minister Narendra Modi had convened a high-level meeting soon after the formation of the BJP government in Delhi to set out his vision for rejuvenating the river before the Delhi government and the Ministry of Home Affairs. HM Shah said that more than 40 per cent of the work had been achieved in a short period.
10 Projects Inaugurated, 33 Initiated to Strengthen Sewerage Infrastructure
Home Minister Shah said 10 projects were inaugurated and 33 projects were initiated during the event. The initiatives, with a total outlay of ₹8,941 crore, are aimed at treating wastewater before it enters the Yamuna and strengthening Delhi’s sewerage infrastructure. The projects include upgrades to existing sewage treatment plants (STPs), installation of new STPs, a decentralised STP pumping station and the extension of sewer connections to households. Work on sewer rehabilitation, sewage tapping and drainage is also being taken forward. HM Shah expressed confidence that the Yamuna would be cleaned by May 2029.
Time-Bound Roadmap to Clean the Yamuna by 2029
The Home Minister said that for the past 30 years, successive governments had allowed Delhi’s sewage to flow into the Yamuna, while dairies discharged around 2,000 tonnes of cow dung into the river every day. He also pointed to the discharge of industrial wastewater from Haryana and polluted water from Uttar Pradesh into the Yamuna.
HM Shah said the governments at the Centre and in Delhi, Haryana and Uttar Pradesh were now working together and had jointly prepared time-bound roadmaps for cleaning the river. He said coordinated efforts by the four governments would ensure that the Yamuna was cleaned by 2029.
Vision of a Cleaner Delhi and a Rejuvenated Yamuna
Home Minister said the objective was to build a Delhi with well-maintained homes, clean streets, pure water and no mountains of garbage, where the rejuvenated Yamuna could bring its benefits to people all the way to the Sangam. He said Prime Minister Modi had taken up the river’s rejuvenation as a firm resolve and that a significant part of this commitment was now being fulfilled.
Over 2.17 Crore Tonnes of Garbage Cleared in Delhi
The Home Minister said the Rekha Gupta-led Delhi government, with support from the Prime Minister Narendra Modi government at the Centre, had cleared 2.17 crore metric tonnes of garbage and reclaimed 100 acres of land from waste. He added that the height of the garbage mounds at Okhla and Bhalswa had been reduced by 30 to 40 metres, while the Ghazipur landfill had been reduced by 10 to 15 metres.
HM Shah said the government had undertaken major development works at Asita East, Bansera and Vasudev Ghat, along with projects at Sarai Kale Khan and ITO. He added that a three-year action plan had been prepared to provide sewerage connections to every household in Delhi, enabling the proper disposal of wastewater. The government would also work to ensure that every household received clean drinking water.
-PIB inputs
