Syed Ali Ahmed
Tribune News Service
New Delhi, August 26
A six-member committee has been set up to study various options for cleaning the 49-km stretch of the Yamuna flowing through Delhi. The decision was taken at a meeting chaired by the Minister of Urban Development M. Venkaiah Naidu today.
Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal accompanied by PWD Minister Satyendra Jain and Delhi Jal Board Chairman Kapil Misra, Union Water Resources Minister Uma Bharati and Surface Transport and Shipping Minister Nitin Gadkari and senior officials from respective departments attended the meeting, sources said.
Various options, including formation of a special purpose vehicle for undertaking the work of cleaning the river, were discussed.
According to the sources, Kejriwal suggested that cleaning the Yamuna could be taken up even without the government's spending anything on the task.He said that land on both the sides of river over a 27-km stretch is with the Delhi Government and the rest with the DDA while the Delhi Government would clear the encroachments.
After discussions, Naidu suggested formation of a committee to examine various options and submitting a report on it which was accepted by all.
The six-member committee to be headed by the Secretary (Water Resources), Union government, will include representatives of the Ministries of Urban Development, Water Resources, Surface Transport, Environment besides those of the Delhi Government.
The committee will submit its report in September for further consideration by the governments of India and Delhi.