Amit Shah chairs high-level review meeting on Yamuna river rejuvenation

New Delhi, Jul 11: Union Home Minister and Minister of Cooperation Amit Shah chaired a high-level meeting in New Delhi today to review the ongoing efforts for the rejuvenation of the Yamuna River. The meeting was attended by Union Ministers Manohar Lal and C.R. Patil, Delhi Chief Minister Rekha Gupta, senior officials from the Centre and the Delhi Government. Amit Shah called for urgent and coordinated action to curb water pollution, urging the Delhi Pollution Control Committee to intensify efforts and the Delhi Government to take stronger steps to stop industrial waste discharge. He also highlighted the need for joint efforts by neighbouring states, as pollutants from outside Delhi are also entering the Yamuna.

The Home Minister stressed improvements in Biochemical Oxygen Demand levels in the Najafgarh and Shahdara drains and called for drone surveys of these areas. He also emphasised the expansion of sewage treatment capacity to 1,500 MGD by 2028 and pushed for third-party quality checks of treated water.

Amit Shah urged rainwater harvesting through reservoir development, better management of dairy waste, and control of unauthorized dairies. He called for discussions with Uttar Pradesh to enhance the Yamuna’s environmental flow and proposed releasing treated water from Okhla downstream. He also flagged the issue of unregulated borewells in Delhi and directed the Delhi Jal Board to draft a phased plan for regularisation, alongside a detailed survey of water supply needs in the capital.