It is really appreciable that on initiative of G Asok Kumar, Director General, National Mission for Clean Ganga (NMCG), Department of Water Resources, River Development and Ganga Rejuvenation, Ministry of Jal Shakti, a Joint Committee of stakeholders including NMCG, Upper Yamuna River Board (UYRB), UP Irrigation Department, Delhi Jal Board (DJB), Irrigation and Flood Control, Delhi and Delhi Pollution Control Committee (DPCC) was constituted to oversee and coordinate efforts being made to control/minimize the froth formation downstream of Okhla Barrage in River Yamuna during Chhat Puja. The Committee was formed in exercise of powers available in Para 7 of the River Ganga (Rejuvenation, Protection and Management) Authorities Order dated 07.10.2016. The Joint Committee comprised Executive Director, Technical, NMCG (Chairman), Member Secretary, UYRB (Member), Member Secretary, Delhi Pollution Control Committee DPCC (Member), Chief Engineer, Irrigation & Flood Control, I&FC, Delhi (Member), Chief Engineer, SDW NW, DJB (Member), Executive Engineer, Okhla, UP Irrigation Department (Member).
The role and responsibilities of stakeholders remained NMCG & UYRB – Coordination among Delhi, UP and Haryana, DJB and I&FC – Anti-surfactant dosing & optimum and efficient operations of Delhi STPs, DPCC – Monitoring operation of STPs and discharge of industrial effluents, UP Irrigation Department – Operation of Barrage. As per deliberations, eco-friendly anti-surfactant was sprayed from October 25 to Chhat Puja from boat mounted sprayers. Other measures to control the froth formation including operations of barrage gate to avoid/minimize free fall at Okhla Barrage were also taken.
This was in addition to the efforts going on towards sewerage interventions and monitoring discharge of industrial effluents under Namami Gange programme, central schemes and state plan. These efforts brought about different scale of changes in river water quality during different seasons. In view of festive season, it has been felt to coordinate efforts of different departments/agencies in the efforts to try and contain the problem of froth in River Yamuna downstream of Okhla Barrage. Cleaning of tributaries of River Ganga, especially, Yamuna, was one of the focus areas of Namami Gange Programme, whereas a 318 MLD STP at Coronation Pillar has already been commissioned in March 2022, 3 other main STPs on Yamuna funded by NMCG are targeted to be completed by December 2022, which include Rithala, Kondli and Okhla. Okhla will be Asia’s biggest STP. After the completion of these projects, there would be a considerable improvement in quality of water of river Yamuna as around 1,300 MLD of wastewater will stop flowing into the river. A concerted campaign on Yamuna is also being run since the start of this year in association with NGOs and other stakeholders as part of which cleanliness drives are organised on River Yamuna in Delhi on the 4th Saturday of every month by NMCG and on one more important day of the month since February 2022 with the support of NGOs and other stakeholders. Yamuna Arti was also organised at Sur Ghat in New Delhi on the occasion of Swachhta Diwas on 2nd October to raise awareness on rejuvenation of Ganga and its tributaries, especially Yamuna. Under Arth Ganga campaign, as espoused by Prime Minister, Narendra Modi, NMCG facilitated Ganga Artis on Ghats and training local people in Ganga Basin to generate more and more livelihood opportunities.