New Delhi, November 18
Facing heat from wide circles for alleged mismanagement of environmental and sanitation issues in Delhi, Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal on Thursday announced a six-point action plan to clean the Yamuna by February 2025. While announcing the plan, Kejriwal tried to brush off the fierce criticism against him. The 70-year-old problem cannot be solved in two years, saying that Yamuna is indifferent to pollution.
“It took 70 years for Yamuna to become so dirty, it cannot be cleaned in two days. I had promised the people in these Delhi elections that it would be cleared by the next elections. We have started work on a war footing.” Kejriwal took a pledge to make the holy river fit for bathing and drinking.
He also promised to make the river water hygienic for bathing and drinking.
A key feature of the proposed action plan is that the government will shut down industries discharging industrial waste into the Yamuna. Kejriwal tweeted in Hindi: “Whatever I promise, I fulfill it. In the last election, I had promised to clean Yamuna till the next election. I will take a dip in Yamuna with all of you before the next election. – tns
action strategy
- Construction of new sewage treatment plants, apart from upgrading existing ones
- Treatment of 4 major drains that dump garbage in the river
- Industries dumping waste in Yamuna will be closed