Skimming machines are busy removing the weeds and debris from the river, while a JCB clears the accumulated waste. Garbage is being collected and stairs along the bank are getting cleaned. This is the current scene at the ITO Bairak bank of the Yamuna River. As the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) prepares to form the new Delhi government, it has already begun fulfilling one of its major promises to Delhiites— a pollution-free Yamuna.
AAP-BJP politics on Yamuna
During the assembly election, the cleaning of the Yamuna River had become a major campaign plank for both BJP and AAP. In 2015, they promised to clean the river, yet even after a decade, Yamuna continues to struggle for breath. BJP continuously mentioned this failure of AAP calling it a ‘betrayal’ and reminding the voters of unfulfilled promise.
Political tussle has always been a roadblock in the process of bringing Yamuna to good health. BJP at the Centre and the AAP government in Delhi have always been in a battle over permission and grants. Meanwhile, AAP has continuously blamed the neighbouring states, especially Haryana for discharging waste into the river with Kejriwal accusing Haryana of adding ‘poison’ to Yamuna.
The new Yamuna cleanup plan
Now, after BJP’s landslide victory securing 48 seats the cleaning process is underway even before the government is formed. The Delhi’s Lieutenant Governor's office, has said that cleaning of the Yamuna will be carried out under a ‘four-pronged strategy’.
The first step will involve debris and silt removal to clear the accumulated toxic waste from rivers and drains like Najafgarh. Sewage treatment will be the next step in the cleaning process under which already existing plants will be upgraded and newer plants will be constructed to treat 400 million gallons daily (MGD).
A smooth flow of communication will be ensured to build inter-agency coordination bringing together the Delhi Jal Board (DJB), Municipal Corporation of Delhi (MCD), Delhi Development Authority (DDA), and pollution control boards. Strict regulations will be issued to control the industrial waste dumping in the river.
Past efforts for cleaning the Yamuna River
In 2015, The National Green Tribunal (NGT) — a statutory body established for the effective disposal of cases relating to environmental protection and conservation of forests and other natural resources — issued directives for establishing 32 additional sewage treatment plants (STP), but none was completed till 2019. The same year, the NGT ruled that the floodplains should remain unoccupied to protect the ecology of the river.
In the year 2023, the National Green Tribunal also formed a High-Level Committee (HLC) under the chairmanship of LG Saxena for cleaning Yamuna. But the Aam Aadmi Party challenged this, claiming that the Centre was meddling in issues related to the state's jurisdiction. The committee had five meetings only when the matter of HLC was taken to the Supreme Court and an order for effectively halting its operations was issued.
What has the BJP promised for Yamuna
In its ‘Sankalp Patra’, the BJP during the election campaign promised to expand the sewage treatment capacity by 1,000 MGD as well as increase common effluent treatment capacity to 220 million litres per day. The development of the Yamuna riverfront and establishment of ‘Yamuna Kosh’ was also part of the promises made by the BJP to Delhi voters. Now, as the BJP is about to form its government in Delhi, all eyes are on whether the party will succeed in transforming the Yamuna from a drain to a clean river.