Union Home Minister Amit Shah on Monday chaired a high-level review meeting on the Yamuna rejuvenation project in the national capital and emphasized that cleaning the river is a commitment undertaken under the leadership of Prime Minister Narendra Modi. He said all stakeholders must work together to achieve this goal at the earliest.
Addressing the meeting, Shah urged the governments of Delhi, Haryana and Uttar Pradesh, along with all concerned ministries, to pursue the cleaning of the Yamuna through an integrated action plan rather than in a fragmented manner. He stressed the need for coordinated efforts and teamwork among all agencies involved.
The meeting was attended by Union Minister for Housing and Urban Affairs Manohar Lal, Union Jal Shakti Minister C.R. Patil, Delhi Lieutenant Governor Taranjit Singh Sandhu, Chief Minister Rekha Gupta, Minister Parvesh Sahib Singh, and senior government officials.
Shah said that Haryana, Delhi and Uttar Pradesh must collectively ensure a standard ecological flow in the Yamuna. He also announced that a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) would be signed between the Municipal Corporation of Delhi (MCD) and the National Dairy Development Board (NDDB) to prevent dairy waste from entering the river. The waste, he said, would instead be converted into biogas and organic manure.
According to Shah, under the NDDB model, dung generated by dairies and gaushalas (cow shelters) will be transported directly to biogas and manure plants. He added that scientific waste management systems would also be implemented along the riverbanks.
The Home Minister noted that the desilting of drains discharging into the Yamuna is progressing rapidly. Of the targeted 28.57 lakh metric tonnes of silt to be removed this year, 97 per cent has already been extracted, while the remaining quantity is expected to be cleared by June 15.
He directed officials to ensure that the removed silt is utilized in various manufacturing and infrastructure projects so that it does not wash back into the river during the monsoon season.
Shah further informed that 129 Sewage Treatment Plants (STPs) have already been constructed across Delhi, Haryana and Uttar Pradesh, while an additional 59 STPs are scheduled to be completed by the end of 2027.
He also directed that the construction of industrial Common Effluent Treatment Plants (CETPs) and dairy waste treatment facilities should be planned keeping future requirements in mind.
Emphasizing the importance of continuous monitoring, Shah said arrangements should be made to regularly track key water quality parameters such as Biochemical Oxygen Demand (BOD), Chemical Oxygen Demand (COD), and Total Suspended Solids (TSS) in all drains and water bodies connected to the Yamuna.
The Home Minister also directed officials to review the progress of the Yamuna rejuvenation project every 20 days to ensure timely implementation of all planned measures.