More funds for Yamuna plan / Dilli Haat goes to East Delhi

More funds for Yamuna plan

Aruna P. Sharma

New Delhi, October 28

The ministry of environment and forests has released funds for Phase II of the Yamuna Action Plan (YAP), amounting to Rs 387.15 crore.

While DJB has already submitted its plans for the five sewer rehabilitation and sewage treatment plant projects on which this amount will be spent, environmentalists have raised questions about YAP I, which failed to improve the Yamuna’s water quality.

“In the last five years, the government spent over Rs 1,000 crore on cleaning the river under YAP-I, extended phase I and Common Effluent Treatment plants. But pollution in the river has gone up. There should be a scrutiny as to why phase I failed. Without a review, spending more means more money down the drain,” says CSE director Sunita Narain.

According to Delhi government officials, YAP Phase II seems headed the same way as phase I. More than Rs 170 crore is to be spent on rehabilitating three trunk sewers — at Bela Road, Wazirabad and the Ring Road. Officials say there is little point in this as sewage never reaches these sewers. Rather, it is let out from the internal sewers into the nullahs. So, unless the internal and peripheral sewers are relaid and linked with the trunk sewers, the rehabilitation work will have little effect on river water quality.

A more feasible idea would be to take up one particular area where there is severe sewer clogging and upgrade the sewer services, so pollution from that one area is reduced at least, say officials. The Supreme Court, in its order dated November 6, 2001, had directed the DJB that no untreated sewer should enter the Yamuna by 2003. But according to the ministry’s report last year, the Yamuna isn’t even fit for aquatic life or bathing

Dilli Haat goes to East Delhi

HT Correspondent

New Delhi, October 28

Dilli Haat is going places. After successfully drawing the crowds at INA and then moving on to Pitampura, where it is still under construction, the cultural hub is all set to debut in East Delhi.

Urban development and finance minister A.K. Walia on Wednesday said that after much delay, DDA has allotted 3.5-acre land in Geeta Colony for the purpose. Interestingly, the new Haat falls in the minister's constituency.

The news will bring much relief to the residents of the area, who till now had to brave traffic and parking problems to visit the Haat in South Delhi. The project layout has not been prepared as yet. However, Delhi Tourism will soon make a presentation to Lieutenant-Governor B.L. Joshi about the same.

For the past three years, the government had been seeking permission from the L-G for the project. However, the then L-G Vijay Kapoor, had denied it on the grounds that the progress of the Pitampura Haat was not satisfactory. The government had also been asked to wait and see how people responded to the Pitampura complex before it was replicated in east Delhi.

After Joshi took over, the government sought his permission.

The Rs 10-crore project would be completed within a year. The Haat will be latest in a series of projects here. Bungee jumping has been introduced at Sanjay Lake. A cultural centre has come up at Laxmi Nagar.