Delhi LG VK Saxena slams AAP govt over Yamuna pollution, AAP hits back

Delhi Lieutenant Governor V K Saxena on Monday lamented the condition of the froth, sewer and effluent-laden Yamuna on the culmination of the Chhath festival, saying promises to clean the river remain unfulfilled.

New Delhi: Delhi Lieutenant Governor V K Saxena on Monday lamented the condition of the froth, sewer, and effluent-laden Yamuna on the culmination of the Chhath festival, saying promises to clean the river remain unfulfilled.

Saxena Accuses AAP Govt of Manipulating SC Order

In a series of posts on Twitter, Saxena also accused the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) government in the national capital of convolutedly getting the Supreme Court to modify a National Green Tribunal (NGT) order. A source in the city government said, "It is sincerely unfortunate that a constitutionally-designated officeholder is making such gauche remarks on the Supreme Court's decision. Contempt of court is a punishable offense and we hope that the apex court shall deal with this misplaced accusation sternly, taking suo moto cognisance against the LG's insinuations."

AAP Govt Sources React

Reacting to the LG's remarks, the government source said, "If the LG disagreed with the order of the Supreme Court judgment dated July 11, 2023, removing him from the high-level committee on Yamuna cleaning, then he should have filed a review. It is shocking that he has gone in contempt of the Supreme Court and is insinuating that Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal influenced the decision."

Saxena Highlights Unfulfilled Promises

Saxena said the Chhath festival culminated on Monday with Arghya offered to the Sun god. "Chhathi Maiya departed but the Yamuna remained dirty and polluted," he said, adding that the devotees were once again forced to offer prayers amid silt, debris, and filth. "Arghya offering in the Yamuna got prohibited yet Yamuna could not be cleaned," the LG said in one of his posts on the microblogging website.

LG's Initiatives for Yamuna Cleaning

Saxena had undertaken the cleaning of the heavily polluted Najafgarh drain that opens into the Yamuna and taken other initiatives for cleansing the river as the chairman of the high-level committee formed by the NGT. "Even when some work starts under the directions of Hon'ble NGT and things just begin to change in terms of cleaner floodplains, enhanced sewage treatment, land for new STPs, and resultant slight improvements in water quality, the government convolutedly gets Hon'ble SC to modify NGT's order," the LG said.

Blame Game Continues

In another post, Saxena said a blame game starts after Chhath or when the ammonia level goes up in the river or during floods or when there is a water shortage due to a low water level in reservoirs, but no one takes the blame for years of inaction. "And... the Yamuna flows festering..!! he said in yet another post.

The condition of the Yamuna river continues to be a pressing issue, with the recent Chhath festival highlighting the urgent need for action. The blame game between the Delhi LG and the AAP government is not helping matters, and it is high time that concrete steps are taken to clean up the river and ensure that it remains clean for future generations.