New Delhi, March 19 (IANS) Delhi Lieutenant Governor T.S. Sandhu on Thursday sprang into action to tackle the froth generated in the Yamuna River and visited the Kalindi Kunj bank with experts to chart the way forward.

In a message on social media, the L-G wrote, “Visited the Kalindi Kunj Ghat along the Yamuna river, along with senior officials of concerned departments, to take a first-hand assessment of the current situation.”

Sandhu said the visit involved discussions with local and international experts from leading scientific institutions and organisations to help identify practical and sustainable measures going forward.

A day earlier, a political row erupted after the Delhi government floated a tender worth Rs 6.2 crore for two “VIP inspection boats” meant for monitoring and survey operations on the Yamuna River, even as high levels of froth were seen floating on the river near Kalindi Kunj, raising environmental concerns.

The Irrigation and Flood Control Department issued the tender on March 12 to procure two vessels, with each boat estimated to cost around Rs 3.1 crore. According to the tender document, the boats will be used for river monitoring, surveys and inspection visits by senior officials.

However, the move drew sharp criticism from Congress National Secretary Abhishek Dutt, who alleged that the government was focusing on expensive boats instead of tackling the worsening pollution in the Yamuna.

“Today, pink foam is visible in the Yamuna. Pink foam is a combination of sewage waste, industrial waste and dry waste. The pollution levels are thousands of times higher than what the Yamuna’s cleanliness levels should be. Yet, this government has no shame; they are buying boats worth Rs six crore today,” he told IANS.

Responding to the criticism, Delhi Assembly Deputy Speaker Mohan Singh Bisht, a BJP legislator, said pollution in the Yamuna was the result of long-term negligence by previous governments in the city.

“It is true that all of us are responsible to some extent for the Yamuna’s water turning pink. Drains used to flow directly into the Yamuna. The Congress ruled for 15 years and the Arvind Kejriwal government for 11 years, but there was negligence in installing effluent treatment plants (ETPs),” he said.

He said, “If the ETPs had been installed, the water would never have turned pink, it would not have been polluted, and fish would not have died. But our government has come to power only a year ago; we have already started the work of cleaning the Yamuna.”

–IANS

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