The Ministry of Environment and Forests (MoEF), which has been drawing flak from the National Green Tribunal (NGT) for the past few months, on Wednesday promised to come out with an action plan for the “restoration and preservation” and management of all works along the Yamuna by February 17.
The action plan will be implemented on a pilot project basis on river Yamuna and may be extended to all rivers across India. “The (Yamuna) model that emerges after analysis of data, if approved by the tribunal, will set an example to be followed for all rivers across the country,” a three-member MoEF committee said in the submission before the NGT.
The MoEF committee, led by Delhi University Prof C R Babu, in its submission agreed to submit the action plan by February 17, 2014.
“The Tribunal has given an opportunity for the first time to formulate action plan that can bring the past glory of Yamuna River, including restoration of the quality of water,” the committee report noted.
The MoEF had formed a three-member expert committee to examine the Yamuna River Front Development Scheme of the Delhi Development Authority (DDA) following an order from the National Green Tribunal (NGT) in September.
But later NGT asked the committee to not only “suggest the methodology and process required to be followed for restoration, preservation and beautification of the river beds but even state as to who should execute the work.” The order came following a petition filed by activists and Yamuna Jiye Abhiyaan convener Manoj Misra.