News Brief
Yamuna Pollution Drops Significantly In Seven Months: Delhi Minister Parvesh Verma
Water Minister Parvesh Verma
Delhi Water Minister Parvesh Verma said on Saturday (25 October) that the government's Yamuna cleaning initiatives have yielded significant results, reported The Times Of India.
In seven months, fecal coliform levels—a key indicator of untreated sewage—have dropped sharply at four of the eight monitoring points.
"We promised to clean the Yamuna within three years, and I am proud to say that four out of eight sampling points have already reached the permissible limit," Verma was quoted as saying by ToI.
Until 2024, Delhi Jal Board (DJB) could treat only about 400 MGD (million gallons per day) while the rest untreated sewage flowed into the river.
The government has now redirected major drains to Sewage Treatment Plants (STPs) to prevent untreated water from entering the river.
AAP Delhi State President Saurabh Bharadwaj challenged these claims, saying, "Delhi govt's own pollution report proves Yamuna water is unfit for both drinking and bathing. BJP's lies are dangerous; drinking Yamuna water could endanger lives of children and pregnant women."
He accused the BJP of misleading Purvanchal devotees for electoral gain.
In response to Bharadwaj's allegations, the minister stated,"He selectively showed the 9 Oct DPCC report but did not mention that during his tenure, locations like Asgarpur had fecal coliform levels as high as 80 lakh. Today, that same location has dropped to 8,000."
