Chandigarh: Haryana Chief Minister Nayab Singh Saini on Monday told the Assembly that during the stint of the previous government in Delhi, the condition of the Yamuna River had severely deteriorated and now, in the last few months, 16,000 metric tonnes of garbage has already been removed from the Yamuna.  

“While much was said, no concrete steps were actually taken on the ground to clean and restore the river,” he said.

The Chief Minister was responding to a question during the Question Hour in the ongoing Monsoon Session of the Vidhan Sabha.

He said Prime Minister Narendra Modi has taken cognisance of the issue, and following his instructions, a meeting was recently held in Delhi which was attended by him, the Chief Minister of Delhi, and the Union Minister for Water Resources.

During the meeting, a joint committee was constituted for the cleaning of the Yamuna, and work is now progressing at a rapid pace.

The Chief Minister said 16,000 metric tonnes of waste has been removed from the Yamuna River over the past four months. He added that additional Sewage Treatment Plants (STPs) were also being established in Delhi as part of efforts to clean the river.

“Maa Yamuna is now becoming cleaner, and this reflects the firm resolve of the Haryana government,” he added.

Last week, CM Saini said a joint committee comprising senior officials of the Central Water Commission (CWC), Haryana and Delhi governments will be constituted to clean the Yamuna.

CM Saini, who had attended a meeting on inter-state coordination on Yamuna rejuvenation, chaired by Union Jal Shakti Minister C.R. Patil in New Delhi, had said the work of cleaning the Yamuna was being carried out on a war footing after formation of the BJP government in Delhi.

The process of treating sewage water from drains through STPs before releasing it into the river has been accelerated.

The Chief Minister had said under the ongoing campaign, 16,000 metric tonnes of garbage has already been removed from the Yamuna. He said that rejuvenation of the Yamuna River was the top priority of both the governments.

(IANS)