Kejriwal govt and its promise to wash Yamuna: A saga of ‘Tareekh pe Tareekh’

— Consider studying the article Tareekh pe Tareekh: Toxic foams on Yamuna proceed, however Kejriwal govt’s guarantees to wash river nonetheless a distant dream on OpIndia web site —

It’s the 12 months 2021 and the nationwide capital continues to be grappling with hazardous air high quality and poisonous water. The social media platforms are as soon as once more flooded with photographs and movies of ‘toxic Yamuna’ with no clear answer to the air-water disaster. 

Visuals of poisonous foam on the Yamuna River brought on by air air pollution.#YamunaRiver pic.twitter.com/2PXaVCekHC— News18 (@CNNnews18) November 8, 2021

However, in yet one more critical try and purify the ‘air and water,’ the Arvind Kejriwal-led AAP authorities has completed the unimaginable- ‘extend the deadline.’ 

Deputy chief minister of Delhi, Manish Sisodia whereas presenting the AAP authorities’s finances for 2021-2022 in March had claimed that the Yamuna river might be absolutely cleaned within the subsequent three years. 

He had additionally introduced {that a} provision of Rs 2,074 crore has been made on this regard.

‘Readying to clean Yamuna’

In September this 12 months, Delhi’s water minister Satyendra Jain had claimed that the AAP authorities was planning to deal with round 155 million gallons per day (MGD) of wastewater coming from Haryana and Uttar Pradesh into the Yamuna.

One extra assembly was held with officers from Delhi Jal Board and the Irrigation and Flood Control division to put down a ‘master plan’ to wash all of the sources that pollute the river. 

Delhi’s AAP authorities pledges to wash Yamuna river.Irrigation Minister Satyendra Jain, in a gathering with water board officers, has prompt taking steps to refine 150 MGD of water which comes from neighboring states.#AamAadmiParty #AAP #AapMysuru #Mysore pic.twitter.com/szGhXnbMUs— AAP Mysuru (@AAPMysuru) September 17, 2021

The minister had stated that the drains from the neighbouring states would both be diverted to sewage therapy vegetation (STP) or endure therapy. He additionally stated that the handled water can be used to revive lakes and water our bodies. 

Harping on the ‘three-year Yamuna clean’ promise, Jain had additional stated, “The Yamuna is a holy river. It’s a river that we all pray to and seek blessings from. It does not belong to a particular state but to the whole country.” Deflecting the blame on different states, Jain stated that the neighbours of Delhi polluting the river must also take steps.

“..but we are taking additional responsibility upon ourselves because it is our commitment to the citizens of Delhi that we will clean it within three years,” added the AAP minister. 

The minister in 2020 had claimed that the Delhi authorities is agency on reviving the river within the subsequent three to 4 years.

Dirty water and industrial waste are available Yamuna river from Badshahpur, Haryana and Sahibabad, UP. We are dedicated to cleansing the river within the subsequent 3-4 years. If there may be any air pollution inflicting manufacturing unit in Delhi, strict motion might be taken: Delhi Health Minister Satyendra Jain pic.twitter.com/0OKKpZ65Q2— ANI (@ANI) July 25, 2020

Nonetheless, a thick envelope of poisonous carcinogenic foam continues to pollute the Yamuna river. 

‘Tareekh pe Tareekh’

The sequence of issuing dates after dates for cleansing the Yamuna by the Delhi authorities has been occurring because the 12 months 2015. Delhi’s Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal in 2015 had promised to wash the Yamuna river inside 5 years (by 2020). 

Stories of Yamuna by @ArvindKejriwal pic.twitter.com/xdJ3xVfiSl— exsecular (@ExSecular) November 8, 2021

He had made this promise standing on the banks of the river alongside along with his cabinet colleagues and senior Delhi authorities officers, who had taken half within the first ‘Yamuna Aarti’ held on the Kudesia Ghat.

The aarti was carried out in a really Dharmic model with monks from Varanasi who have been specifically invited for this system chanting Vedic hymns. 

As per a 2015 Mint report, Kejriwal had boasted, “We will revive Yamuna within five years,” including that the federal government has a plan to cease the movement of drains within the Yamuna within the subsequent 1-2 years. 

The case of ‘missing deadline’

While the Delhi authorities ministers proceed guilty Haryana and UP for the menace, it’s Delhi Jal Board’s (DJB) obligation to deal with the sewage. 

Reportedly, the nationwide capital generates 720 million gallons per day (MGD) of sewage. However, the present STPs have a capability of treating 597.26 MGD per day.

The DJB had assured the National Green Tribunal’s (NGT) monitoring panel that it’ll enhance the utilization of the prevailing STPs to 99% by June 2019, however greater than two years after lacking the deadline, the utilization stands at simply 86%.

Issuing a brand new date, the Delhi authorities in a report from July had said, “Entire flow (of sewage in drains) shall be trapped and treated by March 2023 after construction/rehabilitation of Coronation Pillar, Rithala and Kondli STP under YAP-III.”

‘Water supply disrupted due to Ammonia spike in Yamuna’

The water provide in a number of places of Delhi was disrupted because the manufacturing on the therapy vegetation within the metropolis was hit as a result of a rise in ammonia within the Yamuna river close to Wazirabad.

Delhi: Water provide takes a success with the rise in ammonia ranges in Yamuna RiverWe don’t have a water provide since yesterday, & this occurs each 2 months. Tap water is yellowish & pungent, so we’ve got to purchase water from retailers: Neeti Verma, Yamuna Vihar resident pic.twitter.com/vPTtzKB6nV— ANI (@ANI) November 7, 2021

AAP chief and the Vice Chairman of the Delhi Jal Board, Raghav Chadda in an modern response claimed that since Delhi doesn’t have its personal personal river, it has to depend upon ‘treated water’ for consumption. 

दिल्ली के पास अपनी कोई नदीं तो है नहीं इसलिए पड़ोसी राज्यों से आने वाले पानी को हम ‘वाटर ट्रीटमेंट प्लांट’ में साफ कर घरों तक पुंचाते हैं। यमुना नदी में अमोनिया का स्तर बढ़ गया है: AAP नेता और दिल्ली जल बोर्ड के उपाध्यक्ष राघव चड्डा pic.twitter.com/3pYbTuzfG1— ANI_HindiNews (@AHindinews) November 7, 2021

BJP begins ‘clean Yamuna’ drive

The Bhartiya Janta Party’s (BJP) Delhi unit had launched a cleanliness drive in September this 12 months to wash the Yamuna at 71 places as a part of the ‘Sewa and Samarpan’ program. 

“It is the responsibility of the Delhi government to get rid of pollution from the river but as Delhiites it is our duty to volunteer in this effort so that when the Chhath festival comes it can be celebrated in a clean atmosphere,” lamented Delhi BJP president Adesh Gupta. 

With the graduation of Chatth Puja, the BJP employees proceed to wash the river for the comfort of the devotees.

However, some devotees at present have been seen performing puja within the poisonous river risking their well being.

People take dip in Yamuna river close to Kalindi Kunj in Delhi on the primary day of #ChhathPuja amid poisonous foam pic.twitter.com/nrmzckRgdq— ANI (@ANI) November 8, 2021

Near seven years after AAP supremo Arvind Kejriwal first promised to wash the Yamuna, the river continues to be engulfed in poisonous foam up to now.