At Yamuna Sansad, hundreds take the pledge to save river

The event saw members of the ruling Aam Aadmi Party (AAP), including Delhi ministers Gopal Rai and Saurabh Bharadwaj, and opposition Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) in attendance.

“In the past, numerous unauthorised colonies lacked a sewer network, leading to untreated sewage directly flowing into the Yamuna. However, in recent years, sewer networks have been established in many unauthorised colonies. With the network in place, sewage no longer directly reaches the Yamuna. Instead, it is directed to a sewer treatment plant before being released into the Yamuna. This is a huge task. With the cooperation of the people, this work will be done quickly,” said Bharadwaj.

Several participants were also seen picking up waste from the river bank.

Rai, who is the environment minister, said the Delhi government was taking action to stop pollution. “The Yamuna is not just any river for Delhi, but it sustains a vast ecosystem within the city. Majority of Delhi’s water requirements are met by the Yamuna, making it a crucial resource for both economic and ecological purposes… our government is taking all necessary steps to preserve the sanctity of this sacred river. Under the Summer Action Plan launched by Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal, a public awareness campaign has been initiated as a significant component,” he said.

The event was organised by Yamuna Sansad convener

Ravi Shankar Tiwari who said that close to 1 lakh people participated in the initiative.

Delhi BJP president Virendra Sachdeva and Leader of Opposition Ramvir Singh Bidhuri also attended the sansad. While Sachdeva was present at the ITO Chhat Ghat, Bidhuri was seen at Kalindi Kunj Yamuna Ghat.

Hitting out at the AAP, Sachdeva said, “It has been more than eight years since Arvind Kejriwal came to power and he is still repeating the same promises he made at the time. But, nothing concrete has been done to clean the Yamuna.”

He also thanked Lieutenant Governor V K Saxena for his intervention in cleaning the river.