Headlines
In spirit of cooperation, centre and Delhi plan single agency for Yamuna
By
Gaurav SharmaNew Delhi, Sep 13
Even as they spar over
jurisdiction, there are signs of cooperation as the union and Delhi
governments are to create a single agency to clean up Yamuna river -
which accounts for 70 percent of the capital's water needs - realising
that the multiple authorities engaged in the task have complicated the
job.
The agency, likely to named the Delhi Yamuna
Development Authority (DYDA), will be set up on the lines of Delhi Metro
Rail Corporation - jointly run by the central and Delhi governments.
"This
will be major step in the direction of rejuvenating the Yamuna. Various
agencies involved in the task has prove to be a bottleneck," a top
Delhi government official told IANS, requesting anonymity.
Presently,
around a dozen of authorities look after the river: Delhi government's
revenue department, irrigation and flood department, Delhi Jal Board and
the Delhi Development Authority (DDA) - and other departments of civic
bodies with none of them doing their job and instead coming in each
other’s way.
This has meant that successive governments at the
Centre and in Delhi have failed to rejuvenate the river despite spending
over Rs.1,500 crore on three Yamuna Action Plans, the first of which
was launched way back in 1993.
"The authorities are not able to
execute their work because of jurisdiction issues. If Delhi Jal Board
wants to to do some thing on the riverfront, DDA's permission is
needed," the official explained.
"The Delhi government had
proposed the idea of a meeting with the centre, which was okay with the
proposal," the official said, adding: "The proposal is ready."
Delhi
Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal and his minister with the water
portfolio, Kapil Mishra, had met central ministers Uma Bharti, M.
Venkaiah Naidu to evolve a common plan of action for the Yamuna. Both
sides have already decided to create a special purpose vehicle for the
task.
A detailed blueprint is being prepared for the purpose.
Cleaning-up
the Yamuna is one of the poll promises of the Aam Aadmi Party
government, which rode to power in February, winning 67 of the 70
assembly seats. It is also among the top agenda items of the Narendra
Modi government.
Mishra, it is learnt, has set a three-year
deadline for the project. According to the National Green Tribunal, the
state governmrnt needs Rs.3,659 crore for the purpose.
(Gaurav Sharma can be contacted at [email protected])