NEW DELHI: To speed up the action plan chalked out for the Yamuna’s rejuvenation here, an interdisciplinary committee -- Unified Centre for Rejuvenation of River Yamuna -- has been set up by the Delhi Development Authority on Monday. The committee, with the help of The Inland Waterways Authority of India, will also seek Netherlands’ expertise in river engineering and modelling, water resources management and pollution control using advanced sewage treatment technologies.
The Dutch will assist the Central govt in conducting a feasibility study on socio-economic, financial, technical and environmental viability of cleaning the Yamuna etc.
“Yamuna development tops the priority for the Delhi administration. While the DJB’s interceptor sewage project will be able to check 70 per cent of sewage flow into the river, the sewage from other drains also needs to be intercepted to check pollutants,” said Delhi Lt Governor Najeeb Jung. The primary objective of the committee is to begin the process of cleaning up the river, which is being coordinated by the DJB through its interceptor sewage project. The DDA will look after the riverfront development through initiatives such as biodiversity parks, green linkages and recreational spaces.
All the other agencies will work to increase the water supply for Delhi, which requires building reservoirs and sharing of water through inter-state coordination. The committee aims to ensure conservation, protection and rejuvenation of the Yamuna and to promote and secure the requisite development activities along the river and its floodplain.
Jung instructed Secretary (Environment) to take steps through the pollution committee to ensure that pollutants, especially from industries, are not discharged into the Yamuna.
The committee is headed by the Lieutenant Governor and the Chief Secretary and DDA vice-chairman (DDA) will be its co-chairpersons, with the CEO (DJB), Secretary (Irrigation & Flood Control Department), Secretary (Environment) and others as members.