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New Delhi, Oct 16 (IANS) Delhi Chief Minister Rekha Gupta on Thursday visited the Yamuna banks in south-east Delhi’s Kalindi Kunj area and assured Chhath devotees that the water is clean and free of poisonous foam this year.
“At this point, the foam used to rise to a height of one metre. But today there is no trace of foam due to the measures taken by the Delhi government,” CM Gupta said during his visit to the area.
Warning people against the “fake and misleading” video being circulated alleging re-emergence of foam in Kalindi Kunj ahead of Chhath, he said, “Our government is alert and committed to provide a new experience to the devotees. We are fully prepared, hundreds of workers are working round the clock to clean the river.”
He said the government has adopted eco-friendly treatment of the foam so that there is no harm to any organism in the river ecosystem.
CM Gupta hit out at previous governments for their lack of intention to deal with the scum posing a threat to devotees.
“If you don’t want to do anything, there are hundreds of excuses available to you. Our government had the intention and we found eco-friendly solutions to deal with the scum,” the Chief Minister said.
He also highlighted the government’s commitment towards environmental protection and cited efforts to allow green crackers for Diwali celebrations.
In a post on Twitter, CM Gupta said, “Today after reaching Kalindi Kunj, I inspected the cleaning work of Yamuna. Delhi government is making preparations on a war footing for the grand celebration of Chhath festival.”
Team Delhi is working day and night to ensure clean Yamuna, cleanliness at the ghats and provision of best facilities for Chhath vratis. “I reviewed the entire management with the officials and gave necessary instructions,” he said.
Flanked by Art and Culture Minister Kapil Mishra, who heads the special committee to coordinate Chhath arrangements, CM Gupta said, “This year, during the Chhath festival, when devotees will stand in the clean Yamuna and offer arghya to Lord Sun, the scene will symbolize our shared commitment towards faith, tradition and environment.”
Thanks to the continuous efforts of our government, Yamuna is returning to its clean, clear and uninterrupted flow. He said that water quality is continuously improving due to concrete steps like sewer tapping, installing STP and controlling pollution.
–IANS
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