On Monday (20th November), after the Chhath festivities concluded across India, Delhi Lieutenant-Governor Vinai Kumar Saxena lambasted the Arvind Kejriwal-led Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) government regarding toxic foam and pollutants in the Yamuna river.
He launched a scathing attack on the AAP government in Delhi asking why it has failed to clean Yamuna over the years forcing devotees to offer prayers in polluted waters.
He wrote in Hindi, “Chhath festival concluded today with Arghya offered to Dinanath Bhagwan Bhaskar. Maa Yamuna was once again left dirty and polluted. Devotees were once again forced to offer prayers amidst silt, debris, and rot. Offering Arghya in the river was prohibited but Yamuna did not become clean.”
Further in his Twitter thread, the Delhi LG pointed out that year after year, one promise after another, Yamuna remains polluted. All the markers indicating pollution level including COD/BOD remain poor.
Without explicitly mentioning the Delhi government, he stressed that instead of taking accountability, the AAP government in Delhi engages in the blame game. Rather than taking action over the years, everything under the sun is blamed for the river pollution, he added.
He also pointed out another set of “high-sounding” promises are made to cover inaction. He said, “Every Chatth, every time ammonia levels get high, every flood and every water shortage due to low levels of water in reservoirs, there ensues a blame game. All and sundry are blamed but none take the blame for the inaction over years. Another set of high-sounding promises are made.”
Taking a dig at the Delhi government, he noted that whenever some work gets started on the directions of the National Green Tribunal (NGT) like enhanced sewage treatment, the Delhi government hinders it.
He concluded by stating, “Even when some work starts under directions of Hon’ble NGT & things just begin to change in terms of cleaner flood plains, enhanced sewage treatment, land for new STPs & resultant slight improvements in water quality, the Govt covolutedly (sic) gets Hon’ble SC to modify NGT’s order.”
Earlier, the BJP had launched a scathing attack on Arvind Kejriwal for failing to improve Yamuna River water. The party accused the AAP government of spending thousands of crores allocated by the Centre on advertisements or “doing corruption” instead of cleaning Yamuna.
Additionally, Delhi BJP President Virendra Sachdeva alleged that AAP had submitted an affidavit in court in which it claimed that Chhath festivities lead to pollution in the Yamuna and sought that permission should not be given for it.
He was accompanied by BJP MP Manoj Tiwari when he went on to inspect ghats in the wake of Chhath Puja earlier on 15th November. Tiwari slammed the AAP’s move of seeking to deny permission for Chhath. He said that those saying Chhath Puja pollutes the river are “fools”.