Delhi LG sets June 30 deadline for cleaning up Yamuna’s ghats
The lieutenant governor said they hope to provide Chhath devotees with clean and safe ghats this year
Delhi lieutenant governor VK Saxena took a motorboat ride through the 11-km stretch of the Yamuna River on Sunday and inspected the cleaning works at significant points such as Garhi Mandu, ISBT, Loha Pul, and Asita West, which are being carried out under the first phase of the river’s cleaning operation, which is being monitored by a high-level committee (HLC) formed by the National Green Tribunal.
Reiterating that the ghats and flood plains will be cleaned by June 30 this year, Saxena, HLC’s ex-officio chairman, said that a significant improvement in various parameters in the Yamuna has already occurred, with the removal of 1,200 metric tonnes of garbage from the river since work in this regard began on February 12 this year.
“The results are so encouraging that we hope to provide Chhath devotees with clean and safe ghats this year. The second phase will begin on Monday, focusing on transformation via Yamuna bank cleaning and midstream muck desilting. The cleaning of the Najafgarh drain has also produced the desired results, with the drain’s Biochemical Oxygen Demand (BOD) level consistently declining. The BOD levels in the Yamuna at ISBT are also reflecting this. Therefore, we need to stabilise the BOD while also lowering it,” said Saxena.
He added that the participation of society at large, including industry, students, pujaris, residents, and government agencies, had made a positive difference. “Testimony to the exercise was seen on Sunday when 30 motorboats cruised through the river simultaneously for 11 km. As a result, works on floodplain restoration, drain trapping, sewage line desilting, and the construction of STPs and DSTPs, among other things, are proceeding on schedule,” he said.
According to Saxena, Delhi currently generates 768 million gallons of sewage per day (MGD), of which only 580 MGD (75.5%) is treated. “We need to treat 727 MGD (95%) of sewage by June of this year, with a total treatment capacity of 814 MGD by December 2023 and 964.5 MGD by June of next year. This committee is monitoring the construction of three new STPs at Okhla, Delhi Gate, and Sonia Vihar, as well as the construction of 40 new DSTPs at various locations and rehabilitating three existing STPs, and the upgrading of 18 existing STPs. We also allotted land for this purpose in less than a month, pending for the previous eight years,” he said.