NEW DELHI: Amid growing environmental concerns, the Delhi government has launched a strong effort to stop the illegal discharge of untreated waste into the city’s drains, a major reason behind Yamuna River pollution.
Authorities have given a seven-day deadline to investigate the issue and the Delhi Pollution Control Committee (DPCC) has been asked to prepare a clean-up plan within 10 days. Environment Minister Manjinder Singh Sirsa said on Wednesday that he had spoken with PWD Minister Parvesh Singh Verma.
“Verma told me he is aware of the issue, which was ignored by previous governments, and he is now taking concrete steps to solve it,” said Sirsa. “This negligence dates back to the previous government. It is shocking that even after the National Green Tribunal (NGT) imposed a Rs 18 crore environmental fine, illegal dumping into the Yamuna still continues,” he added.
“The root of this problem is the inaction of the former government. Ex-CM Arvind Kejriwal, who directly supervised the Delhi Jal Board (DJB), failed to stop the pollution. Despite several warnings from the NGT, no steps were taken to clean the Yamuna.
This shows how little the previous government cared for Delhi’s environment or its people,” Sirsa said. The action comes after the DPCC submitted a report to the NGT revealing that untreated waste from unauthorised colonies continues to flow into water bodies. The DJB was fined Rs 18.54 crore for this.
Earlier, the NGT formed a Joint Committee led by a retired Delhi High Court judge, with members from the Central Pollution Control Board, DPCC and Delhi Jal Board.
The committee’s suggestions focused on stronger enforcement of the 2018 Septage Management Regulations.
One major issue the committee highlighted was that agencies like Delhi Police and Traffic Police had no enforcement powers under the old rules. In response, the Delhi government recently notified the amended Septage Management Regulations 2024, giving enforcement powers to the DJB, MCD, Delhi Police, and Irrigation & Flood Control Department.
However, despite these improved rules, the problem remains due to the lack of action by the previous government.