Delhi Govt. Draws Up 6,000 Crore Plan To Rescue The Yamuna, Expected To Take 2 Years To Complete
Delhi government has drawn up an elaborate plan for Yamuna revival, focusing on the cleaning of drains, development of green areas along the river and creation of reservoirs. Involving several agencies, including the Centre, Delhi Jal Board would supervise the work that's expected to take about two years and cost over Rs 6,000 crore.
The Delhi government has drawn up an elaborate plan for Yamuna revival, focusing on the cleaning of drains, development of green areas along the river and creation of reservoirs. Involving several agencies, including the Centre, Delhi Jal Board would supervise the work that's expected to take about two years and cost over Rs 6,000 crore.
BCCL
"The plan has an in-principle approval from the Centre and we have had a couple of consultations with Union water minister Uma Bharti. The Centre has agreed to finance the Yamuna river front development. For the remaining work, which includes improvement of drains, upgradation of sewage treatment plants etc, we are still working out a financing model.
BCCL
Work has already started from the government's end and we have floated an expression of interest for the supplementary drain. For the other works, transaction advisors have to be appointed," said DJB chairperson Kapil Mishra. There have been plans earlier that haven't been fruitful, but the government claims this one would work.
"Since we have all the agencies on board this time and chalked out a detailed plan, we see no problem in the implementation. DDA would oversee the work but all the other government agencies, including DDA, have been allocated their work," Mishra said.
Reuters
The project also envisages commercial exploitation of vacant land along all major drains to stop encroachment. Officials said the same policy would not be used for the floodplain, the development of which would be supervised by NGT and other green watchdogs.
The work would include the creation of 50m-200m greenways along the river and drains. These greenways would be landscaped with walkways, cycle tracks and recreational places wherever these are close to human settlements. Native trees, shrubs and herbs would be used to attract and sustain wildlife. A major section in the plan has been dedicated to the management of sludge and solid waste for the first time.
Reuters
Officials said that to remove polluted silt, the river would be dredged at Okhla and Wazirabad.
"A bathymetric survey would be done to assess the sludge and a separate plant would be set up to treat it," said an official.
To restore the ecology, biodiversity parks, treatment wetlands, catchment wetlands, mosaic of grasslands, floodplain forests, terrestrial forest communities etc would be developed. The riverfront would see the creation of public spaces as well as navigation.
Reuters
A special purpose vehicle would be formed to notify water-oriented development. Specific works have also been identified like removal of solid waste dumps especially on the eastern side of the river, relocation of segments of Jaitpur Extension and Badarpur Khadar, removal of embankments and temporary roads, and relocation of all solid waste recycling units, farmhouses, cattle farms and nurseries that come within the notified zones.
Unauthorised construction at Sur and Qudsiya ghats would also be removed. The government has proposed the creation of a special zone for the CWG Village, old Jaitpur, Sonia Vihar, Jagatpur, Samadhis, Delhi Secretariat and Velodrome where pollution would be regulated. The Millennium Depot would also be removed.
Reuters
Another proposal is to create wetlands on both banks before flowing in treated water from drains into the river.