Union Home Minister and Minister of Cooperation Shri Amit Shah chaired a comprehensive review meeting on Yamuna River rejuvenation in Delhi, attended by Union Minister of Housing and Urban Affairs Shri Manohar Lal, Union Jal Shakti Minister Shri CR Patil, Lieutenant Governor of Delhi Shri Taranjit Singh Sandhu, Chief Minister Smt. Rekha Gupta, Shri Pravesh Sahib Singh, and senior officials.
The meeting focused on accelerating the cleanup of the Yamuna River, described as a resolve under Prime Minister Narendra Modi's leadership. Shah emphasized the need for an integrated action plan with team spirit between the governments of Delhi, Haryana, and Uttar Pradesh, rather than fragmented efforts. A critical directive required the three states to jointly ensure standard ecological flow in the Yamuna River.
Significant progress was reported on desilting operations, with 97% of the targeted 28.57 lakh metric tons of silt already removed from Yamuna drains. The remaining silt is scheduled for removal by June 15, 2026. To prevent silt from washing back into the river during monsoon, Shah directed that it be utilized in manufacturing projects.
Infrastructure development includes 129 Sewage Treatment Plants (STPs) already completed across Delhi, Haryana, and Uttar Pradesh, with plans to construct 59 additional STPs by the end of 2027. The Home Minister mandated that all industrial Common Effluent Treatment Plants (CETPs) and dairy waste treatment plants be constructed with future capacity requirements in mind.
A key announcement was the Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) between the Municipal Corporation of Delhi (MCD) and the National Dairy Development Board (NDDB) to prevent waste from Delhi's dairies from entering the Yamuna. Under this agreement, dung will be transported directly to biogas and manure plants, with scientific management of waste along Yamuna banks.
Shah emphasized rigorous monitoring requirements, mandating continuous and accurate measurement of parameters including Biochemical Oxygen Demand (BOD), Chemical Oxygen Demand (COD), and Total Suspended Solids (TSS) for all STPs, industrial waste, and drain discharges. He stressed that merely satisfactory results are insufficient and precise outcomes are essential.
The meeting concluded with directives to fix detailed action plans and execution dates for all Yamuna revitalization projects, ensure long-term maintenance arrangements, and conduct progress reviews every 20 days to maintain momentum on the cleanup initiative.