NEW DELHI: Union Home Minister Amit Shah on Monday mandated strict 20-day review cycles to clean the Yamuna river, along with installing 59 new sewage treatment plants (STP) by 2027.Chairing a high-level review meeting on the Yamuna rejuvenation project, Shah emphasised that a clean and pollution-free river remains a top priority and called for seamless coordination among all stakeholders to ensure visible and measurable outcomes on the ground, news agency ANI reported.Sending a clear message to states, Shah directed the governments of Delhi, Haryana and Uttar Pradesh to move away from fragmented efforts and work as a single unit under a unified action plan.A major focus of the meeting was pollution caused by dairy waste. To address this, a Memorandum of Understanding will be signed between the Municipal Corporation of Delhi and the National Dairy Development Board (NDDB). The agreement aims to stop untreated dairy waste from entering the river by converting it into biogas and organic manure.The Home Minister also reviewed the progress of desilting operations in drains flowing into the river. According to the Ministry of Home Affairs statement, 97% of the targeted 2.857 million metric tonnes of silt has already been removed this year, with the remaining expected to be cleared by June 15, ANI reported.Shah directed that the extracted silt be utilised in construction and manufacturing projects to prevent it from being washed back into the river during the monsoon.On infrastructure expansion, Shah said 129 STPs are already operational across Delhi, Haryana and Uttar Pradesh. “To further strengthen wastewater treatment capacity, 59 additional plants will be constructed by the end of 2027,” Shah added further.To ensure time-bound execution, Shah instructed officials to prepare detailed action plans for each project under the rejuvenation programme, with fixed timelines and provisions for long-term maintenance.He ordered that “progress be reviewed every 20 days”, signalling a tighter monitoring framework aimed at accelerating implementation.(With agency inputs)
