Streamlining water supply proposed

Parallel to the river's clean-up, the govt has promised a combined total of ₹9,000cr to overhaul water and sanitation system

- Jasjeev Gandhiok

NEW DELHI: In a determined effort to restore one of India's most iconic rivers, chief minister Rekha Gupta on Tuesday unveiled an ambitious roadmap to clean up the Yamuna in her maiden budget. The plan, a cornerstone of the government's environmental agenda, will see the establishment of 40 decentralized sewage treatment plants (DSTPs) along the river's course, with ₹500 crore allocated for new DSTPs and another ₹500 crore to upgrade existing ones.

In her budget speech, Gupta said modern machinery such as trash skimmers, weed harvesters, and dredge utilities will be procured with an additional allocation of ₹40 crore, while a focused ₹200 crore will be dedicated to the conversion and interception of the Najafgarh drain, a major conduit of sewage and effluents into the Yamuna.

"Cleaning of Yamuna ji is an important part of our manifesto and is one of the main priorities of this budget. Yamuna is a flowing lifeline in the fabric of Indian civilisation. But unfortunately, the previous governments completely failed to clean it. Now our government is going to take decisive steps so that Yamuna can be made clean and pure again," Gupta declared, saying that the renewed focus river marks a decisive break from past neglect by previous governments.