New Delhi, (Samajweekly) Delhi Lt Governor V.K. Saxena has written to Haryana Chief Minister Manohar Lal Khattar urging him to urgently convene a meeting between Delhi and Haryana to find a sustainable solution to the Yamuna pollution.
He reminded Khattar that despite assurances from Haryana’s Irrigation Department to set up STPs to treat the sewage before being discharged into Najafgarh Drain, there has not been any substantial progress so far, and hence requested for a meeting at the earliest.
In his letter, the LG has referred to his earlier discussions over telephone with the Haryana CM over the issue of treatment of Palam Vihar Drain (L1), Dharampur Drain (L2), and Badshahpur Drain (L3) that carry silt, untreated sewage and industrial waste into the Najafgarh Drain from Haryana.
Calling for collective action on part of the two states – Delhi and Haryana – the LG, in the letter, has noted that the toxic discharge from Najafgarh Drain into Yamuna not only has severe health ramifications for the people of Delhi NCR but the same also downstream in Haryana and Uttar Pradesh.
Earlier, the LG had discussed the issue of Yamuna Pollution at the North Zonal Council Meeting chaired by Union Home Minister Amit Shah at Jaipur on July 9, 2022. Subsequently, a follow up meeting was also convened by the Union Home Secretary on July 26, 2022, where the Haryana Irrigation Department ad assured to set up STPs to ensure 100 per cent treatment of sewage before discharge into Najafgarh Drain.
