By Tanya Chugh

New Delhi [India], April 4 (ANI): In a significant move to protect the Yamuna River, the Delhi Government has requested the Territorial Army to safeguard the river from dumping, mining, encroachment, and theft.

This decision aims to preserve the river in its natural form and achieve the government's target of cleaning the Yamuna within three years.

Delhi's Water Minister, Parvesh Verma, emphasised that the focus is on educating people rather than imposing fines.

'Delhi government has requested Territorial Army to protect Yamuna,' Water Minister Parvesh Verma said on Thursday. 'We don't want to put fines but want to educate people that why they should not throw garbage in Yamuna or why they should save water,' he added.

The Yamuna has been a key focus of the newly formed Delhi Government. The proposal has been extensively discussed, and a formal request to the Territorial Army is expected soon. Alongside this, a citywide campaign will be launched to educate people on the importance of protecting the river.

The Territorial Army's Ecological Task Force is capable of protecting the Yamuna River, and their deployment is anticipated in the coming months.

While speaking on the issue, a senior official from the Ministry of Defence also said, 'An official communication regarding such is not known to us yet, but yes, if asked, Territorial Army's arm, Ecological Task Force, is dedicated to such tasks and is capable of protecting the River Yamuna.'

This move is crucial, given the severe pollution of the Yamuna River, which is attributed to untreated sewage discharge, industrial effluents, garbage dumping, illegal sand mining, water theft, and encroachment.

In a related development, Delhi Lieutenant Governor V K Saxena launched an intensive campaign to clean the Yamuna floodplains, which included inducting a 94-member company of the territorial army to ensure the cleaned stretches remain encroachment-free.

The recent election in Delhi spotlighted the deteriorating state of the Yamuna River. Despite multiple initiatives and substantial financial investments, the 22-km stretch of the river passing through Delhi continues to resemble a sewage canal. The failure to achieve tangible improvements underscores the urgent need for a structured, accountable, and result-oriented action plan to restore the Yamuna to its natural state.

In a decisive move to tackle worsening pollution in the Yamuna River, the Jal Shakti Ministry has formulated a 'Yamuna Master Plan', which will soon be submitted to PM Narendra Modi for approval. This initiative aims to restore the severely polluted stretches of the river in mission mode, drawing insights from the successful Sabarmati Riverfront Project.

The Yamuna Master Plan is a comprehensive, sustainable, and scientific approach to river rejuvenation. It focuses on targeted interventions through a four-pronged strategy.

Waste and silt removal: Clearing accumulated waste and silt to restore the river's natural flow.

Drain cleaning: Identifying and treating major polluting drains to prevent the discharge of untreated wastewater.

Strict monitoring of STPs: Strengthening oversight of Sewage Treatment Plants (STPs) to ensure efficiency and regulatory compliance.

Expansion of treatment infrastructure: Increasing wastewater treatment capacity to manage the growing urban effluents effectively.

With a mission-driven approach, the plan seeks to transform the Yamuna into a clean and rejuvenated river, addressing long-standing environmental concerns in the 22 km stretch passing through Delhi. (ANI)