Amit Shah asks UP, Haryana, Delhi to work jointly on Yamuna eco-flow

Union Home Minister Amit Shah on Monday directed the governments of Delhi, Haryana and Uttar Pradesh, along with the ministries concerned, to work under an integrated action plan and in a spirit of teamwork to ensure the standard ecological flow of the Yamuna.

Chairing a review meeting in Delhi on Yamuna rejuvenation, Shah said an MoU would be signed between the Municipal Corporation of Delhi and the National Dairy Development Board to prevent waste from Delhi’s dairies from flowing into the river.

Cow dung will be transported directly to gas and manure plants, while waste along the Yamuna banks will be managed scientifically, he said.

The meeting was informed that desilting of Yamuna drains was proceeding at a rapid pace and 97 per cent of the targeted 28.57 lakh MT of silt had already been removed. The remaining work is to be completed by June 15.

Shah said the silt should be used in manufacturing projects so that it did not wash back into the Yamuna during the rains.

The meeting was also informed that 129 sewage treatment plants had been completed so far in Delhi, Haryana and Uttar Pradesh, while 59 new STPs would be built by the end of 2027.

The Home Minister directed officials to ensure continuous and accurate monitoring of parameters such as Biochemical Oxygen Demand, Chemical Oxygen Demand and Total Suspended Solids in STPs, industrial waste and discharges from all drains. Merely satisfactory results were not enough and precise results were essential, he said.

Shah also directed officials to review the progress of the Yamuna Rejuvenation Project every 20 days.