Sun Nov 17 12:55:41 UTC 2024: ## Delhi LG Accuses Kejriwal Govt of Sabotaging Yamuna Cleaning Efforts

**New Delhi:** Delhi’s Lieutenant Governor (LG) V.K. Saxena has leveled serious allegations against the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) government, accusing it of obstructing efforts to clean the Yamuna River. Saxena claims that positive progress made under a high-level committee, formed by the National Green Tribunal (NGT) in January 2023, was halted by Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal after a Supreme Court stay order was obtained in July 2023.

Saxena stated that a mission-mode cleanup of the Najafgarh drain, initiated in June 2022, yielded encouraging results, leading to the NGT’s formation of the committee under his chairmanship. The committee’s work, which included clearing 11 kilometers of the Yamuna floodplains and improving water quality, was reportedly stalled by Kejriwal’s intervention, allegedly out of concern that Saxena would receive credit for the success.

The LG alleges that since the July stay order, no significant action has been taken by the Kejriwal government to clean the Yamuna, leading to its deteriorating condition. Recent media reports highlighting the river’s polluted state and the recent ban on Chhath Puja offerings in the Yamuna further substantiate Saxena’s claims. He criticized the government’s inaction over the past 16 months, resulting in the current dire state of the river.

Read More