Rekha Gupta Join Yamuna Cleanliness Campaign In Delhi's Haathi Ghat (Img: X)
New Delhi: To give a clean Yamuna to the people of Delhi, Chief Minister Rekha Gupta and Public Works Department (PWD) Minister Parvesh Verma on Sunday took part in a cleanliness drive at Haathi Ghat. They urged Delhi residents to join efforts to clean the Yamuna.
The government also highlighted measures being taken to tackle pollution and improve the condition of the river.
CM Rekha Gupta said thousands of young people, Resident Welfare Associations (RWAs) and social organisations had responded to the call for public participation and joined cleanliness activities across the national capital.
"This is a moment of joy for all of us. When a call was made under the Yamuna Cleanliness Campaign, thousands of youths from Delhi, along with numerous Resident Welfare Associations (RWAs) and various social organizations, stepped forward to participate," CM Gupta said.
CM Gupta said residents were actively participating in cleaning stretches of the Yamuna flowing through Delhi. She stressed that maintaining cleanliness should become a regular habit rather than an activity limited to organised campaigns.
"Today, across the entire stretch of the Yamuna in Delhi, residents are actively engaged in the cleaning drive. I believe that cleanliness is a way of life, a practice we must all incorporate into our daily lives. While cleaning the Yamuna today, I encountered items such as garments belonging to deities, broken idols, and various materials used in religious rituals," Gupta added.
Pointing to the disposal of religious materials in the river, Gupta said such waste contributed to Yamuna pollution. She added that the government was addressing several causes of contamination and had sought assistance from different organisations.
“People often leave tons of such items and remnants in the river, leading to the contamination of the Yamuna. While there are several other reasons for the pollution of the Yamuna, the government is actively addressing them, and we have also reached out to various organizations for their support. We are dealing with these issues with great strictness. In the past year alone, lakhs of tonnes of silt have been removed from the drains. Gradually, the Yamuna will begin to appear cleaner, provided that all of us, as residents of this city, come together to answer the call to clean the river."
Meanwhile, Verma said the government had appealed to Delhi residents to participate in cleaning the ghats, adding that people were becoming more aware of the Yamuna's importance to the city.
Speaking to ANI, Verma said, " We appealed to all Delhi residents to come forward and clean our ghats. The Yamuna is a lifeline for every Delhi resident, and people are realising it. Cleaning the sludge and drains flowing into the Yamuna is the government’s responsibility. With the support of the Prime Minister, the Home Minister, and the support of the Chief Minister, sewage treatment plants are being developed, sewer connections are being installed, and work is underway."
