BJP targets Arvind Kejriwal over cleaning of Yamuna river, air pollution

New Delhi: The BJP on Wednesday accused Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal of "doing nothing" to clean the Yamuna river or control air pollution in the city despite making promises elections after elections.

BJP spokesperson Gaurav Bhatia claimed that the chief minister failed to clean the Yamuna despite governing the national capital for the last eight years, adding that the Centre and the Delhi L-G managed to clean a 3-km stretch of the river in just three-and-a-half months.

"Kejriwal had visited South Korea's Seoul in December 2018 to learn how a polluted river was cleaned there. What did he learn there that despite 50 months, Yamuna's all important parameters, including biochemical oxygen demand, dissolved oxygen and fecal coliform, are much above the permissible limit?" he asked.

The Yamuna has permissible limit of fecal coliform bacteria when it enters the city which rises to over 6.5 lakh/100 ml as the river leaves the city, he said. "This over 1,200 per cent more fecal coliform bacteria than the permissible limit of 2,500 per 100 ml endangers the health of people in Delhi and also shows the inaction of the Kejriwal government," Bhatia said.

He further said that 126 drains pour into the Yamuna's 57 km stretch and so far only 32 of these have been intercepted, adding that as against the need of 20 sewage treatment plants (STPs), there are only five functioning plants, he said.

Delhi BJP president Adesh Gupta also targeted the AAP dispensation for "failing" to ensure the treatment of sewage flowing into the Yamuna. "Way back in 2015, Kejriwal had promised during elections that the Yamuna would be cleaned if the AAP formed the government in Delhi, but it is still heavily polluted due to the inaction of his government," he charged. West Delhi BJP MP Parvesh Verma said Kejriwal should visit Sabarmati riverfront in Gujarat to study how to clean the Yamuna.