In a sea change from the usual images of trash strewn along the flood plains of the Yamuna river, Delhi Lieutenant Governor Vinai Saxena shared images of the landscape resplendent with orange and yellow hues.
In a post on X, he wrote, "This stretch of Yamuna floodplains that used to be a muck-filled, garbage dump just a year ago, has been transformed by DDA into vibrant fields of pot marigolds, redefining the landscape of Delhi and reviving the Yamuna floodplains into breathable public green spaces." He likened the flower fields at Yamuna Vatika to the sunflower fields in France's Tuscany and lavender fields in Provence.
It is pertinent to note that the Yamuna river's dire condition was adopted as a poll issue in the eleventh hour ahead of the February 5 Assembly polls, in which the BJP registered a landslide victory. Mr Saxena said the transformation reflects "unwavering commitment to urban rejuvenation and ecological restoration".
The development of the flower garden comes at the tail of the newly-elected Delhi Chief Minister Rekha Gupta performing aarti at the Vasudev Ghat, whic hwas developed with landscaping in the Charbagh style. As part of the Yamuna floodplain redevelopment, two aesthetically revamped green spaces at Asita East and Baansera near Sarai Kale Khan were developed last year.
The BJP promised a clean Yamuna in three years, while Prime Minister Narendra Modi vowed in a victory speech on February 8 that the river will be made the "identity of Delhi".
The four-fold plan for the clean-up announced by the Lieutenant Governor's office involves the removal of trash and silt from the river and the drains -- including the Najafgarh drain that contributes the most to the pollution -- expanding the sewage treatment capacity to 1,000 million gallons per day and common effluent treatment plant capacity to 220 MLD. The LG had also promised regular monitoring not only for the industrial units but also the sewage and waste water treatment plants.
The Supreme Court too said the change of government in Delhi might 'solve all disputes' surrounding the Yamuna, including cleaning the river of pollutants and ensuring neighbouring Haryana. The comment came during a hearing on pollution in, and sharing of, water from the Yamuna, which flows through two states - Haryana and Uttar Pradesh - before reaching Delhi.
The top court had, in January 2021, taken suo moto cognisance of these issues and has been passing orders periodically since. In this particular instance, the court's amicus curiae (a 'friend of the court'), Meenakshi Arora, was speaking about the dispute between the Delhi and Haryana governments. "... but now, with the change of government, all disputes might get resolved. In these changed circumstances, better implementation may be possible," Justice BR Gavai said today.
