Festivals like Chhath Puja will be celebrated on its banks: BJP MLA-elect Raj Bhatia after Yamuna cleaning work started

BJP MLA-elect Raj Kumar Bhatia promises clean Yamuna River in Delhi, with focus on Chhath Puja celebrations.

As the cleaning of river Yamuna began on Sunday in keeping with BJP's promise in the run-up to the recently concluded Delhi assembly polls, BJP MLA-elect Raj Kumar Bhatia said that the Yamuna will be clean in the coming days, and festivals like Chhath Puja will be celebrated on its banks.

"Today the cleaning of Yamuna has started under the leadership of LG VK Saxena. Trash skimmers, weed harvesters and a dredge utility craft are being used to clean the River. The program has been started in four layers. All this depends on the willingness of the government. In the past government (Arvind Kejriwal's regime), such schemes were made too, but he (Arvind Kejriwal) moved to the SC and tried to stop the Yojanas. I hope that in the upcoming days, the Yamuna will be clean, and festivals like Chhath Puja will be celebrated on its banks," Bhatia told ANI.

Delhi Lieutenant Governor VK Saxena held a meeting with the Chief Secretary of the national capital, where an immediate directive was issued to clean the Yamuna River, trash skimmers, weed harvesters, and dredge utility vehicles were deployed to the river. According to a statement from the LG's office, there is a 'four-pronged strategy' to tackle the issue of pollution in the Yamuna. "To begin with, the trash, garbage and silt in the Yamuna River stream will be removed. Simultaneously cleaning operations in the Najafgarh Drain, Supplementary Drain, and all other major drains will start," read the statement.

For the other two methods, the statement added, "3. At the same time, a daily watch on the existing STPs in terms of their capacity and output will be maintained, and a time-bound plan in terms of construction of new STPs/DSTPs, etc., to meet the actual shortfall of treating about 400 MGD of sewer will be put in place and operationalised."

The office has set a three-year timeline to clean the river, emphasising the need for 'seamless coordination' between various agencies and departments, including the DJB, I&FC, MCD, Environment Department, PWD, and DDA. "The execution of this ambitious plan that targets cleaning the river in about 3 years will require seamless coordination between various agencies and departments that include DJB, I&FC, MCD, Environment Department, PWD and DDA," the statement read.