By IANS
New Delhi : In the backdrop of an outcry by environmentalists and NGOs about the pollution choking the Yamuna, Prime Minister Manmohan Singh Monday set up a high-level committee to help save the river, the lifeline of the national capital.
Called the Yamuna River Development, the body will encourage the participation of all stakeholders and commission studies on river conservation and development, a statement from the Prime Minister’s Office said.
The Yamuna has been choking due to the over-extraction of water and excessive disposal of waste. The river carries 1.5 million faecal coliform bacteria per 100 ml of water as it passes through Delhi – far in excess of the figure considered safe for bathing.
The 22-km-stretch passing through Delhi is considered to be the most polluted in India – and many experts believe it is one of the most threatened river stretches in the world.
Prime Minister Singh noted that with execution of the sewerage and drainage plans prepared by the Delhi Jal Board, the water quality of the Yamuna would improve significantly.
“Development of the riverfront, however, is an exercise which needs to be approached with due care, after proper studies on different aspects,” he said.
The meeting was attended by Home Minister Shivraj Patil, Minister of Urban Development Jaipal Reddy, Lt. Governor Tejinder Khanna, Delhi Chief Minister Sheila Dikshit and Cabinet Secretary K.M. Chandrasekhar.