Shah calls for joint action by 3 States to rejuvenate Yamuna

Union Home Minister Amit Shah on Monday chaired a high-level review meeting regarding the rejuvenation of the Yamuna and called on Delhi, Uttar Pradesh and Haryana to work through a coordinated action plan instead of adopting “a fragmented approach”.

Union Ministers, Delhi Lieutenant-Governor Taranjit Singh Sandhu, Chief Minister Rekha Gupta and senior officials from Delhi, Haryana and Uttar Pradesh attended the meeting.

According to an official release, Mr. Shah called for ensuring a standard ecological flow in the Yamuna across the three States. He said 129 sewage treatment plants (STPs) had been completed across Delhi, Haryana and Uttar Pradesh, while 59 more would be built by 2027. He directed continuous monitoring of pollution indicators, including biochemical oxygen demand (BOD), chemical oxygen demand (COD) and total suspended solids (TSS). He also directed that the progress of the Yamuna rejuvenation projects be reviewed every 20 days.

To curb pollution from dairies, Mr. Shah said the Municipal Corporation of Delhi and the National Dairy Development Board would sign a memorandum of understanding under which dairy waste would be diverted to biogas and manure plants instead of entering the river. 

Major desilting

Reviewing desilting operations, Mr. Shah said 97% of the targeted 28.57 lakh metric tons of silt had already been removed from drains flowing into the Yamuna, with the remaining work expected to be completed by June 15.

He directed officials to use the extracted silt in manufacturing and construction projects to prevent it from washing back into the river during the monsoon.