Jal Shakti Ministry ready with 'Yamuna Master Plan', clean up to start after PM Modi’s approval

Cleaning the Yamuna was a major campaign promise by the BJP during the Delhi elections and a key point of contention between the party and the AAP.

Last week, acting on an order from Delhi Lieutenant Governor VK Saxena, efforts to clean the river commenced in line with PM Modi’s electoral commitment to tackling pollution in the national capital.

According to sources, the Jal Shakti Ministry sought input from experts involved in the development of Gujarat's Sabarmati riverfront while drafting the 'Yamuna Master Plan'.

Several meetings have also been held to discuss the initiative, sources added.

Earlier, India Today reported that the Yamuna cleaning project consists of four key components: waste and silt removal, cleaning of major drains, stringent monitoring of sewage treatment plants, and the expansion of treatment infrastructure.

Following her swearing-in as Delhi’s fourth woman Chief Minister, Rekha Gupta, accompanied by her cabinet ministers, visited Vasudev Ghat to perform the Yamuna aarti.

A video shared by the Delhi BJP showed Gupta participating in the ritual along with party leaders Baijayant Jay Panda, Parvesh Verma, Ashish Sood, Manjinder Singh Sirsa, and Kapil Mishra.

The deteriorating condition of the Yamuna has been a flashpoint between the BJP and AAP, as they put blame on each other for the state of the river.

AAP chief Arvind Kejriwal alleged that BJP-ruled Haryana was contaminating the river with "poison" to disrupt Delhi’s water supply, a claim both the party and the state government denied.

Meanwhile, on Tuesday, a Supreme Court bench comprising Justices BR Gavai and Augustine George Masih observed while hearing the case titled Remediation of Polluted Rivers that given the "changed circumstances" in Delhi, there is potential for better execution of cleanup efforts.

The case pertains to the issue of Yamuna contamination.