Will take up pollution in Yamuna with Haryana, U.P. CMs: Rekha Gupta

Delhi Chief Minister Rekha Gupta on Wednesday said she would hold talks with her counterparts in Haryana and Uttar Pradesh on the issue of drains from the two States polluting the stretch of the Yamuna river in the Capital.

Chairing a review meeting to assess the Yamuna clean-up drive, Ms. Gupta said coordination with the neighbouring States is essential to clean the stretch of the river in Delhi.

The meeting was attended by Water Minister Parvesh Sahib Singh and officials from the departments concerned.

“It was informed in the meeting that six drains from Haryana flow into the Najafgarh drain, accounting for 33% of the total polluted water. Four major drains from Uttar Pradesh discharge into the Shahdara drain, contributing nearly 40% of the total pollution in the Yamuna,” read a statement issued by the Chief Minister’s Office.

According to government data, Najafgarh and Shahdara drains account for the majority of the flow from 22 drains that empty into the Yamuna in Delhi.

Ms. Gupta stressed the need to control the discharge of polluted water from industrial areas. She also directed officials to conduct inspections at common effluent treatment plants in industrial areas to ensure that they are complying with rules.

The CM also reiterated that her government will lay sewer lines in all 1,799 unauthorised colonies by December 2028 and stated that plans to increase sewage treatment capacity to 1500 million gallons per day are in place.