New Delhi: Delhi Minister Parvesh Verma criticized the previous Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) government on Saturday, asserting that the authorities have committed to cleaning the city’s drains within a month.
“We are working to ensure that all drains are cleaned and desilted before the monsoon. We visited Sri Niwaspuri today to address the waterlogging issue in advance. The former Delhi Chief Minister did not take any action here. We will ensure that all of Delhi is cleaned up, regardless of who the local MLA is. The authorities have assured us that the drains will be cleaned in a month,” Verma told reporters.
On April 10, Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal, along with Delhi Lieutenant Governor Vinai Kumar Saxena and Minister Verma, inspected the supplementary drain in the capital. The Delhi government has tasked the Flood and Irrigation Department with the special responsibility of ensuring the timeliness of the drain desilting process.
Following the BJP’s historic win in the Delhi Assembly elections, securing 48 of the 70 seats, the government initiated efforts to clean the Yamuna River. On February 16, trash skimmers, weed harvesters, and dredging vehicles were deployed to the river.
Pollution in the Yamuna was a significant topic during the election, with various political parties criticizing each other over issues of pollution, encroachment, and flood management. The BJP specifically targeted AAP, accusing it of failing to fulfill its promises regarding the river’s cleanliness. The BJP’s manifesto highlights cleaning the Yamuna as a top priority.
Since assuming power in Delhi, the BJP government has sought assistance from the Territorial Army to protect the river from dumping, illegal mining, encroachment, and theft. This initiative aims to preserve the river’s natural state and to meet the government’s goal of cleaning the Yamuna within three years. The Ecological Task Force of the Territorial Army is equipped to safeguard the river, and their deployment is expected in the coming months.
This action is critical due to the severe pollution affecting the Yamuna River, which is primarily caused by untreated sewage discharge, industrial waste, garbage dumping, illegal sand mining, water theft, and encroachment.
