NEW DELHI: BJP leader and Union Jal Shakti Minister Gajendra Singh Shekhawat on Tuesday slammed Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal over the pollution in the Yamuna river and said he cannot escape the "sin of disrespecting the faith of the people".
AAP leader Raghav Chadha hit back, accusing the Union minister of being "interested in making political statements" on the issue "rather than bothering to call a meeting between Delhi, Uttar Pradesh and Haryana to understand the real problem and find a solution".
"His (Shekhawat's) statement reflects the tendency of the Narendra Modi government to hide their own failures and non-performance by making mere allegations," Chadha said.
Pictures and videos showing devotees offering prayers in the Yamuna on the occasion of Chhath Puja on Monday with toxic foam floating on the surface of the river have triggered a political slugfest between the ruling AAP and the BJP in Delhi.
While the BJP alleged the AAP government did not allow Chhath celebrations on the Yamuna banks to hide the "pathetic" state of the river, the AAP's Gopal Rai and Raghav Chadha have blamed the governments in Uttar Pradesh and Haryana for the frothing in the river.
On Tuesday, Shekhawat said, "Both Kejriwal and the Delhi government are running away from their responsibility of cleaning the Yamuna river. It is unfortunate that rather than cleaning the river, they are asking women not to celebrate Chhath (on its banks). Kejriwal is disrespecting the voters of Delhi."
Responding to the AAP government's allegation that polluted water flows into the Yamuna river from other states, the Union Jal Shakti minister said it was a misrepresentation of facts.
"Kejriwal should rise to the challenge and not indulge in futile blame-shifting."
"It is unfortunate and painful that at the time of the Chhath festival the Yamuna is polluted. Kejriwal cannot run escape from this sin of disrespecting the faith of the people," he said.
Referring to the financial aid given to the Delhi government under the 'Namami Gange' programme to tackle pollution in the Yamuna, Shekhawat said the assistance has gone towards 13 sewage treatment projects of about 1385 million litres per day capacity involving an investment of Rs 2,419 crore.
Instead of working towards completing these projects, the Delhi government, unfortunately, has misplaced priorities, he claimed.
In response to the criticism, Chadha said, "It is a fact that the Okhla barrage, which witnesses foaming in Yamuna river every year, is being maintained by the Uttar Pradesh Irrigation Department.
It is shocking that the Union Minister did not know this before deciding to blame the Delhi government for it.
"It is also a fact that the Delhi Jal Board has written to the Uttar Pradesh government several times highlighting the large amounts of decomposing water hyacinths at Okhla barrage that it has failed clearing, which is one of the causes for foaming."
Chadha, the vice-chairman of the Delhi Jal Board, claimed the Central Pollution Control Board in its report to the Yamuna Monitoring Committee has admitted that around 150 MGD of flow is being discharged by Uttar Pradesh and Haryana into the stretch of the Yamuna in Delhi.
This is another major factor behind foaming.
In the past, directions have been given to them by the NGT to install sewage treatment plants (STPs) so that no untreated sewage is discharged in Delhi drains/river Yamuna.
Unfortunately, no concrete action plan is implemented by both states so far, he said.
"On the other hand, the installed capacity of STPs in Delhi is about 597 MGD with the utilisation of about 90 per cent, which is highest in any city in India and dully accepted by National Mission for Clean Ganga.
"Moreover installed capacity of STPs is going to increase up to 707 MGD by December 2022 and YAP-III funded STPs like Kondli, Rithala, Okhla, Coronation Pillar STPs are in advance stage of completion and work is going on in full swing. Delhi is doing it best inspite of various constraints of land and funds," Chadha said.
The 22-kilometre stretch of the Yamuna between Wazirabad and Okhla, which is less than 2 per cent of its length of 1,370 kilometres from Yamunotri to Allahabad, accounts for around 80 per cent of the pollution load in the river.
The presence of phosphates and surfactants in untreated sewage from Delhi, Haryana and Uttar Pradesh is a major reason behind frothing in the river, according to experts.
Delhi Water Minister Satyendar Jain Tuesday said the BJP and the Congress did nothing to save the Yamuna in 75 years but the AAP government will keep the promise to clean the river by the end of 2024.
"Before elections, we said we will clean the Yamuna by 2024. The work got delayed due to the coronavirus pandemic but we stand firm on our promise," he said.
"The Yamuna did not become 'maili' (polluted) today. It has been like this for 75 years. The BJP and the Congress were in power in Delhi, but they did nothing to clean the river," Jain alleged.
The minister also said the sewage treatment capacity in the capital will increase by around 50 per cent with the completion of four major sewage treatment plants (STPs) at Kondli, Rithala, Okhla and Coronation Pillar by December 2022.
The 70-MGD Coronation Pillar STP will become operational by March 2022.
The Okhla (140 MGD), Kondli (45 MGD) and Rithala (40 MGD) STPs will be ready by December 2022.
Besides, the government has undertaken projects to clean the around 150 million gallons of wastewater coming from Haryana and Uttar Pradesh through Najafgarh and Shahdara drains and falling into the river in Delhi, he said.
"All these works will be completed by 2024," Jain added.
According to government data, on average, 24 out of the 35 STPs in the national capital did not meet the prescribed standards for wastewater treatment over the last year.
Delhi generates around 720 million gallons of wastewater a day.
The 35 STPs located at 20 locations across Delhi can treat up to 597 MGD of sewage and have been utilizing around 90 per cent of their capacity.
Pictures and videos showing devotees offering prayers in the Yamuna on the occasion of Chhath Puja with foam floating on the surface of the river have triggered a political slugfest between the ruling AAP and the BJP in Delhi.
The 22-kilometre stretch of the Yamuna between Wazirabad and Okhla, which is less than 2 per cent of its length of 1,370 kilometres from Yamunotri to Allahabad, accounts for around 80 per cent of the pollution load in the river.
According to experts, the primary reason behind the formation of foam in the Yamuna is high phosphate content in detergents used in dyeing industries, dhobi ghats and households in Delhi, Haryana and Uttar Pradesh.
The poor quality of effluent discharged from Common Effluent Treatment Plants (CETPs) and sewage treatment plants (STPs) is another reason.
Wastewater from authorized colonies and settlements containing high phosphate content reach the river through untapped drains.
When water falls from a height at a barrage, the turbulence agitates the phosphoric compounds in the river which leads to the formation of froth.
Frothing in certain stretches of the river, such as near ITO and Okhla Barrage, has become an annual phenomenon now in winters when the temperatures are low and flow in the river less.
Haryana Deputy Chief Minister Dushyant Chautala hit back at AAP leaders in Delhi blaming his state for the frothing in the Yamuna river, saying it has become the Arvind Kejriwal government's "habit" to blame the neighbouring state for everything.
Responding to reporters' questions, he said Delhi banned firecrackers but violations occurred on Diwali leading to the air quality nosediving to the 'severe' level and Haryana was blamed.
"Delhi is blaming Haryana for their own mismanagement. They failed to improve things even after spending crores of rupees. For anything happening in Delhi, they have only one answer, blame Haryana," Chautala said.
Rejecting AAP leaders' claim that Haryana has been releasing gallons of untreated wastewater into the river, the deputy chief minister said, "It has become their habit to blame Haryana for everything."
This time, stubble burning cases in Haryana are low, yet Haryana is being blamed for the air pollution, he further claimed.
Pictures and videos showing devotees offering prayers in the Yamuna on the occasion of Chhath Puja on Monday with toxic foam floating on the river had triggered a political slugfest between the ruling AAP and the BJP in Delhi.
While the BJP leaders alleged that the AAP government did not allow Chhath celebrations on the Yamuna banks to hide the "pathetic" state of the river, the AAP's Gopal Rai and Raghav Chadha had blamed the governments in Uttar Pradesh and Haryana for the frothing in the river.
AAP leader and Delhi Jal Board Vice Chairman Raghav Chadha claimed that Haryana and Uttar Pradesh have been releasing around 155 million gallons of untreated wastewater a day in the river through Najafgarh and Shahdara drains.
"This water containing a lot of organic waste, chemicals and detergents fall from a height at the Okhla barrage which leads to the formation of foam," he had said.
The 22-kilometre stretch of the Yamuna between Wazirabad and Okhla, which is less than 2 per cent of its length of 1,370 kilometres from Yamunotri to Allahabad, accounts for around 80 per cent of the pollution load in the river.
The presence of phosphates and surfactants in untreated sewage from Delhi, Haryana and Uttar Pradesh is a major reason behind frothing in the river, according to experts.
Amid criticism over the formation of foam in the Yamuna -- a sign of its hazardous water quality -- the Delhi government on Tuesday deployed 15 boats to collect the froth with the help of ropes.
The Delhi Pollution Control Committee (DPCC) conceived the plan and implemented it with the help of the Irrigation Flood Control Department and Revenue Department, officials said.
"Fifteen teams have been deployed to collect the foam in the river. The exercise will continue till the current frothing episode comes to an end," an official said.
Officials said the idea entailed the deployment of boats parallel to each other and then roping the foam.
An official, however, termed it a "temporary" measure.
"The problem will persist till sewage treatment plants in Delhi are upgraded to meet the new standards. There is no immediate solution to it."
The foam is just the manifestation of the water quality of the Yamuna and it is a long-term issue, he said.
According to experts, the primary reason behind the formation of foam in the Yamuna is high phosphate content in detergents used in dyeing industries, dhobi ghats and households in Delhi, Haryana and Uttar Pradesh.
The poor quality of effluent discharged from Common Effluent Treatment Plants (CETPs) and sewage treatment plants (STPs) is another reason.
Wastewater from authorized colonies and settlements containing high phosphate content reach the river through untapped drains.
When water falls from a height at a barrage, the turbulence agitates the phosphoric compounds in the river which leads to the formation of froth.
Frothing in certain stretches of the river, such as near ITO and Okhla Barrage, has become an annual phenomenon now in winters when the temperatures are low and flow in the river less.
On Monday, pictures and videos showing devotees offering prayers in the Yamuna on the occasion of Chhath Puja with foam floating on the surface of the river had triggered a political slugfest between the ruling AAP and the BJP in Delhi.
While the BJP leaders alleged that the AAP government did not allow Chhath celebrations on the Yamuna banks to hide the "pathetic" state of the river, the AAP's Gopal Rai and Raghav Chadha blamed the governments in Uttar Pradesh and Haryana for the frothing in the river.
The 22-kilometre stretch of the Yamuna between Wazirabad and Okhla, which is less than 2 per cent of its length of 1,370 kilometres from Yamunotri to Allahabad, accounts for around 80 per cent of the pollution load in the river.
The Delhi government had in June banned the sale, storage, transportation, and marketing of soaps and detergents not conforming to the latest BIS standards to curb pollution in the river.
On an average, 24 out of the 35 STPs in the national capital did not meet the prescribed standards for wastewater over the last one year, according to government data.
Of the 13 CETPs in industrial areas across Delhi, only six comply with the DPCC standards for wastewater on an average.
Delhi generates around 720 million gallons of wastewater a day.
The 35 STPs located at 20 locations across Delhi can treat up to 597 MGD of sewage and have been utilising around 90 per cent of their capacity.
In January, the Delhi government had told the National Green Tribunal the upgradation of STPs in Uttar Pradesh, Haryana and Delhi to "substantially" reduce foaming in the Yamuna will take three to five years depending upon the availability of land and funds.
In a report submitted to the Union Jal Shakti Ministry in July, the Delhi government had said that the Yamuna cannot become fit for bathing in the absence of a minimum environment flow in the river.