By IANS,
New Delhi : Leader of Opposition in the Delhi assembly V.K. Malhotra Wednesday criticised Delhi Chief Minister Sheila Dikshit for reportedly saying that cleaning of the Yamuna river would take several more years.
“For the last three elections, the Congress government has constantly promised a clean Yamuna and has spent over Rs.2,000 crore on the Yamuna Cleaning Campaign. Despite all politically motivated campaigns, today we find that the holy Yamuna has been reduced to a dirty drain and may be the most polluted river in the country,” Malhotra said.
Earlier Tuesday, Dikshit had accepted that her government’s Yamuna Action Plan has failed and it will not be able to clean the river before the Commonwealth Games next October. Dikshit had reportedly said that the government would need several years to clean the river.
“The chief minister’s statement that it may take eight to 10 years more to clean the Yamuna is nothing but breach of trust of the people of Delhi,” Malhotra said.
“This great river is of religious importance for the millions of citizens of Delhi and taking bath in this river would be to attract diseases for eight to 10 years more,” he said.
He added: “Delhi being the national capital is hosting the Commonwealth Games…it is the primary responsibility of the prime minister of India to convene a meeting of state governments and experts from all Yamuna bed states – Uttrakhand, Haryana, Delhi and Uttar Pradesh – to chalk out a plan to clean up the Yamuna in time for the Commonwealth Games.”