Recently, there was much attention on the toxic foam frothing in the Yamuna during the Chatth Puja. Undaunted, people had still taken dips in it to fulfil ritual obligations. Now, Delhi CM Arvind Kejriwal has said that he his government had begun acting on a Yamuna Clean-Up Plan On ‘War Footing”. It has 6 clearly defined ‘action points’ being personally monitored by himself, he said. Kejriwal also said that he will himself take a dip in the Yamuna before next election and ask “you all” to join him as well.

In brief, here are the six points that Delhi CM Arvind Kejriwal presented as part of the Yamuna Action Plan Mission:

1. Sewage treatment, upgrading existing sewage treatment facilities, targeting 10/10 cleanliness of discharged water
2. On the spot (in situ) cleaning of sewers using new technology is being undertaken so that polluted water is not discharged into the river and the water does not have to be transported anywhere either. Najafgarh, Badshahpur, Supplementary, and Ghazipur drain will be cleaned in situ.
3. Strict enforcement of effluent treatment standards for industrial waste that is “treated” only on paper.
4. The public conveniences inside slum clusters in Delhi often release waste matter into storm water drains. This will be stopped and the output lines will be connected to sewers.
5. Despite existence of sewer network, many people have not obtained connections. Now, the government will proactively connect households to the sewer lines whereas earlier it was their own responsibility.
6. De-silting of existing sewer network will be carried out.

Kejriwal said that the pollution and mess of the past 70 years cannot be cleaned in 2 days. “I promised in the previous election that I will clean the Yamuna by the next election”.