Shah chairs Yamuna rejuvenation meeting; stresses STP upgrade, river clean-up
NEW DELHI, Jul 11: Union Home Minister Amit Shah on Friday chaired a high-level review meeting on Yamuna rejuvenation, where he emphasised the need to clean the river and enhance the capacity of Sewage Treatment Plants (STPs).
According to an official statement, Shah directed the Delhi Pollution Control Committee (DPCC) to “work in action mode” to curb water pollution. He also said that the Delhi government should take continuous and effective steps to control rising industrial pollution.
He said that, in addition to Delhi, chemical waste from other states also flows into the Yamuna, and called for joint efforts by all states to clean the river, he asserted.
The meeting was attended by Union Housing and Urban Affairs Minister Manohar Lal, Union Jal Shakti Minister C R Patil, Delhi Chief Minister Rekha Gupta, the Union Home Secretary, and secretaries and senior officials of the concerned ministries and the Delhi government.
The home minister underlined the need to improve the Biochemical Oxygen Demand (BOD) in the main drains of Najafgarh and Shahdara and stressed that a drone survey of the two drains be conducted.
Apart from the efforts being made by the Delhi government to clean the river, there is a need to increase the budget of the National Mission for Clean Ganga (NMCG), he said.
Shah laid special emphasis on cleaning the Yamuna and increasing the capacity of STPs to 1,500 MGD by 2028.
He said Haryana, Delhi and Uttar Pradesh should together make efforts to restore the river’s health. There should be regularity and transparency in testing of the water flowing out of their STPs, and a third-party quality testing of STP outflow should be done, he added.
The home minister said there are several reservoirs in Delhi, and the city government should make arrangements to use them for collecting rainwater. He also said that developing these reservoirs will promote tourism.
The Delhi government should work in collaboration with the National Dairy Development Board (NDDB) to manage the waste produced by dairies and cow shelters, he said, and directed that steps be taken to manage the unauthorised dairies in the national capital.
Shah highlighted that increasing the e-flow in Yamuna was of utmost importance and said that there is a need to talk to the Uttar Pradesh government on this issue and find a solution so that the flow of the river can be improved at the time of its entry into Delhi.
He said the treated water of Okhla STP should be released downstream of Yamuna, which will help in improving the quality of the river water.
The home minister said a detailed survey should be conducted regarding water supply in Delhi, so that it can be ascertained how much water is required to be supplied to cater for the people of the city.
Uncontrolled water extraction through borewells is a big problem in Delhi, on which the Delhi Jal Board needs to work by making an action plan, he said, adding these borewells should be regularised in a phased manner. (PTI)
The post Shah chairs Yamuna rejuvenation meeting; stresses STP upgrade, river clean-up appeared first on Daily Excelsior.
News