Can the Yamuna Be Cleaned in 3 Years? Government’s 4-Step Plan for River Restoration

NEW DELHI: On Monday, the Yamuna River cleanup project got underway in New Delhi, with a three-year timeline of completion by 2027. With the backing of Prime Minister Narendra Modi's pledge, the project focuses on a multi-phase plan to revitalize the river.

On Sunday, Lieutenant Governor VK Saxena presented a "four-pronged strategy" that outlined important steps to bring the Yamuna back within the city limits. Cleaning activities have already begun, including the use of dredge utility crafts, weed harvesters, and trash skimmers. Saxena also discussed the river rehabilitation plan with senior authorities including the chief secretary.

Why is Yamuna in Delhi so Dirty?

Untreated wastewater is dumped straight into the Yamuna by about 28 to 30 major drains, with the Najafgarh and Barapulla drains contributing the most. According to an official, these are connected to numerous smaller drains, which further discharge untreated water into the river.

Yamuna River Cleaning Strategy

First, the riverbed must be cleared of silt and solid garbage. Next, important drains like Najafgarh and Supplementary must be cleaned.

"A daily watch on the capacity and output of the existing sewage treatment plants will be maintained, and a time-bound plan in terms of construction of new sewage treatment plants and decentralised sewage treatment plants will be put in place," said an official from the LG's office.

Navin Kumar Choudhary, Delhi's additional chief secretary, underlined the government's commitment to carrying out the plan.

In accordance with the highest level's directives, we will clean Yamuna within the next three years before 2027, he said. "The task will be completed in three to four steps. The first step is to clear the riverbed of solid garbage. The endeavor to fix all of the STPs is progressing more smoothly. Additionally, we'll make sure that no chemicals are released into Yamuna untreated."

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Yamuna River Restoration: Major Issue for Delhi

One of the most important issues during the Delhi Assembly elections was the restoration of the Yamuna. During his campaign, Prime Minister Modi promised to do all in his power to restore the river's holiness and criticised the AAP government for not cleaning it.

Speaking during the BJP's victory celebrations, Modi declared, "We will make Yamunaji the face of Delhi, as I promised during the election campaign. I am aware that this work will be challenging and time-consuming. We will do everything in our power to serve the Yamuna, regardless of the time and effort required.

According to Navin Kumar Choudhary, Delhi's additional chief secretary, the Delhi Jal Board (DJB) is aggressively working to address the problem of sewage entering storm drains and hopes to finish this work in the next two to three months.