Cleaning the Yamuna remains one of the top priorities of the Delhi Government and has long been a major issue of concern in the national capital due to the river’s severe pollution levels over the years.
With restoration work being carried out on a war footing, Delhi Water Minister Parvesh Verma on Monday held an important meeting with Delhi Environment Minister Manjinder Singh Sirsa to review the functioning of Common Effluent Treatment Plants (CETPs) in the city and their crucial role in cleaning the Yamuna.
According to the minister, industrial waste flowing into the Yamuna is one of the key reasons behind the river’s deteriorating condition.
Notably, apart from Sewage Treatment Plants (STPs), CETPs form an important part of the pollution-control system, helping to check contamination before it reaches the Yamuna.
Taking to social media platform X, Verma said the meeting focused in detail on ways to strengthen CETPs and enhance their monitoring to ensure they function with greater precision and efficiency.
Verma stated, “If CETPs work properly, the Yamuna gets a real chance to recover — and that is the direction we are pushing towards.”
Meanwhile, work is also underway to implement projects worth hundreds of crores, including the setting up of new decentralised sewage treatment plants (DSTPs) and revamping the existing infrastructure to ensure effective cleaning of the river.
These DSTPs will be installed at major drains with the objective of treating sewage at the source itself, thereby preventing untreated waste from entering the river.
The government has also deployed hi-tech machinery for cleaning and improving the Najafgarh Drain, also known as the Sahibi River, which is one of the major contributors to pollution in the Yamuna.
Concerned agencies are continuously monitoring pollution levels in the river, and timely information is being conveyed to the relevant departments for necessary action.
A significant amount of funds has also been allocated in the Delhi Government’s budget for Yamuna-cleaning projects during the current financial year.