NEW DELHI: Delhi Lieutenant Governor V K Saxena chaired a high-level meeting with senior officials from various departments of the Delhi government, including the Delhi Jal Board, to review the Summer Action Plan aimed at ensuring uninterrupted water supply for Delhiites amid the approaching summer heat.

The meeting, held at the LG Secretariat, focused on measures to prevent water shortages during peak summer months. A key point of discussion was initiating talks with Haryana to ensure sufficient water supply from May to June, according to a statement from the LG’s office.

The review also covered progress on cleaning the Yamuna River. The LG emphasized the implementation of a ‘four-pronged strategy’ to combat pollution in the river. According to the statement, the action plan begins with removing trash, garbage, and silt from the Yamuna stream. Concurrently, cleaning operations will commence in the Najafgarh Drain, Supplementary Drain, and other major drains contributing to river pollution.

Additionally, the LG’s office outlined steps to address wastewater treatment. A daily watch on the performance of existing Sewage Treatment Plants (STPs) will be maintained, ensuring they operate at full capacity. To bridge the shortfall in treating approximately 400 million gallons per day (MGD) of sewage, a time-bound plan for constructing new STPs and decentralized STPs (DSTPs) will be implemented and operationalized.

The LG has set a three-year timeline for cleaning the Yamuna River, underscoring the importance of seamless coordination between various agencies, including the Delhi Jal Board (DJB), Irrigation and Flood Control (I&FC) Department, Municipal Corporation of Delhi (MCD), Environment Department, Public Works Department (PWD), and Delhi Development Authority (DDA).

To ensure accountability, the LG has directed weekly progress monitoring. The Delhi Pollution Control Committee (DPCC) has been instructed to maintain strict vigilance over the cleaning process and submit regular reports.

The renewed focus on Yamuna cleaning follows an earlier meeting between the LG and the Chief Secretary on February 16, during which an immediate directive was issued to deploy trash skimmers, weed harvesters, and dredge utility vehicles for cleaning the river.