NEW DELHI, June 8 -- Union Home minister Amit Shah on Monday chaired a high-level review meeting on the rejuvenation of the Yamuna River, stressing that coordinated efforts by Delhi, Haryana and Uttar Pradesh are crucial for restoring the river's health.

The meeting was attended by Union Urban Affairs minister Manohar Lal, Jal Shakti minister C.R. Patil, Delhi Lieutenant Governor Taranjit Singh Sandhu, Chief Minister Rekha Gupta, and senior officials of the concerned departments.

During the review, Shah said that cleaning the Yamuna is a key commitment of the Narendra Modi government and can only be achieved through close cooperation among all stakeholders. He emphasised that isolated efforts by individual agencies or states would not be sufficient and that a comprehensive, integrated strategy involving all three states is essential for long-term success.

Shah underlined the importance of maintaining uninterrupted environmental flow in the Yamuna. He said that meaningful progress in river restoration can be measured only when the river maintains the prescribed environmental flow levels throughout its course.

As part of the rejuvenation plan, the Municipal Corporation of Delhi and the National Dairy Development Board will soon sign a Memorandum of Understanding aimed at addressing pollution caused by dairies and gaushalas. Under the proposed arrangement, cattle waste that currently finds its way into drains and eventually the river will be processed for productive use. The initiative is expected to promote the generation of biogas and the production of organic fertilisers, creating a sustainable model for waste management while reducing pollution.

Reviewing the desilting operations, Shah noted that significant progress has been achieved in clearing accumulated silt and waste from drains flowing into the river. Officials informed the meeting that nearly 97 per cent of the targeted desilting work has been completed and the removal of the entire 28.57 lakh metric tonnes of material is expected to be finished before June 15.

Published by HT Digital Content Services with permission from Millennium Post.