New Delhi:The Delhi government on Sunday organised a day-long cleanliness drive at 70 locations along the Yamuna’s ghats and floodplains under the ‘Chalo Yamuna Campaign.’

Chief minister Rekha Gupta participates in the cleanliness drive near ITO in New Delhi on Sunday. (Arvind Yadav/HT PHOTO)

Chief minister Rekha Gupta appealed to people not to dump religious offerings, clothes offered to deities, damaged idols, plastic wrappers and other waste in the river or along its banks.

The chief minister, cabinet ministers, MPs, MLAs and volunteers from resident welfare associations (RWAs) and non-governmental organisations (NGOs) participated in the campaign, officials said.

During the drive, large quantities of clothes, damaged idols, puja materials and other waste were found lying in and around the river, said Gupta.

“People often leave puja materials and other religious offerings to be immersed in the Yamuna, leading to pollution. Cleaning the Yamuna requires active participation from all sections of society, along with the government’s efforts,” she added.

Delhi BJP president Harsh Malhotra, who addressed workers cleaning the riverbank near Gandhi Nagar, said the government and the Delhi BJP were committed to reviving the Yamuna.

“Our duty does not end by sweeping the riverbank for just one day. We urge people not to throw waste into the river and to place worship materials at designated nirmalya collection points,” he said.

Minister Pravesh Verma also participated in the drive near Old Railway Bridge, along with his wife. “Our government is working to restore the Yamuna as a life-giving river. The contribution of all residents is also important,” he added.

Verma said, “Dozens of machines, including trash skimmers and weed harvesters of the flood department worked in the river, while over 250 PWD maintenance vans and hundreds of MCD vehicles worked the banks. Together, we removed hundreds of tonnes of waste in a single day. In the next 2–3 years, Delhi will see a clean Yamuna.”

The Yamuna originates from the Yamunotri glacier in Uttarakhand and meets the Ganga at Triveni Sangam in Prayagraj. The 22-km stretch from Wazirabad to Okhla accounts for only around 2% of the river’s lengthbut contributes significantly to its pollution.

The Delhi stretch has 22 major drains that discharge into the river. The DJB is currently unable to treat all the sewage generated in the city, allowing a large quantity to flow into the river.

Gupta said work had begun on setting up sewage treatment plants (STPs) and decentralised sewage treatment plants to tap drains that discharge into the Yamuna.

“Desilting of drains across Delhi is underway. Millions of tonnes of silt were removed from drains last year. The government is prioritising all necessary work related to cleaning the Yamuna to effectively control the sources of pollution entering the river,” she added.