Congress flays Centre, BJP MPs over ‘failure’ to clean Yamuna

New Delhi, April 12

Delhi Pradesh Congress Committee (DPCC) president Arvinder Singh Lovely lambasted the Modi government for its “failure” to address the alarming pollution levels plaguing the Yamuna river. He said that owing to government’s inaction, the Yamuna had turned into a “virtual drain”.

According to Lovely, despite Delhi being the focal point of BJP’s governance, air and water pollution continue to pose risk to the health of its residents. He said the Central Government and the seven BJP MPs, representing the Capital, had failed to improve Delhi’s environmental conditions.

With the onset of the summer exacerbating the situation, Lovely highlighted the dwindling flow of water in the Yamuna. He said the problem was exacerbated by the discharge of drains into the river. He blamed the Centre for failing to put pressure on the BJP-ruled Haryana Government to release more freshwater into the Yamuna.

Lovely recounted that the NGT had imposed a fine on the Environment Ministry in 2017 for failing to submit a status report on the Yamuna’s rejuvenation.

He also criticised the numerous projects launched over the past decade to clean the river, asserting their limited success due to the lack of initiative from the Central Government and Delhi’s BJP MPs.Drawing parallels with the ongoing Namami Gange scheme, Lovely highlighted the prolonged nature of government projects aimed at cleaning rivers, despite substantial financial investments.