The BJP must have realised that making promises is easier than fulfilling it, as the Yamuna’s water quality has not improved much even after the transition of power
The promise of cleaning Yamuna largely
prepared the ground for the Bharatiya Janata Party’s (BJP) return to power in
Delhi after nearly three decades. But by now, the BJP must have realised that
making promises is easier than fulfilling it, as the Yamuna’s water quality has
not improved much even after the transition of power. It must be admitted here
that while the new government has initiated a few steps to clean Yamuna,
experts are skeptical about its success as the water of the holy river still
remains unfit for aquatic life, forget about drinking or using it for household
purposes. So, it will not be a surprise if the Yamuna pollution remains as one
of the major issues in the next Assembly election too. Clearly, Delhi is not
benefitting from the river; rather, it has become a source of pollution. The
situation should be changed to save the national capital from becoming
inhabitable.
There are various reasons behind the
Yamuna becoming one of the most polluted rivers in the country. Unplanned
growth, virtually non-functioning sewage treatment facilities and destruction
of natural water bodies, etc. are some of them. In this connection, an
oft-repeated argument that excessive lifting of the Yamuna water by Haryana for
irrigation purposes has made the river vulnerable to pollution should be
discarded outrightly for the simple reason that while diverting river water for
irrigation, proper attention is always given to ensuring adequate water flow.
Moreover, if Haryana is the main culprit, how can Delhi explain the fact of
having the largest sewage treatment capacity in the country? It provides ample
evidence that sewage treatment plants in the national capital are not
functioning properly, otherwise the Yamuna wouldn’t be so toxic. Similarly, no
efforts have ever been made to restrict unauthorised and unplanned
constructions in Delhi. The encroachers have even built human settlements on
the floodplains, making the city prone to flooding whenever excess water is
released from the barrages situated on the upstream.
In view of this, the new government
should adopt a well-defined policy to make the Yamuna clean once again, in
consultation with river experts and states situated on the upstream and downstream,
as the river can be cleaned only through a combined effort. In this context, a
common regulatory body may be the answer to ensure proper treatment of sewages.
This body should be held responsible whenever the water crosses a permissible
level of pollution. The presence of such a body will end the blame game. At
present, while Haryana blames Uttarakhand for polluting the Yamuna, Delhi
blames both these states for the same, and Uttar Pradesh accuses all the three of
constantly damaging the river. So, a co-ordinated effort should be made for the
restoration of the Yamuna in its full glory.
