'All disputes might get resolved now': SC's big remark on Yamuna after change of govt
The apex court's optimism stems from the fact that Delhi, like Uttar Pradesh and Haryana, is ruled now by the BJP, which dislodged AAP in the recent Assembly polls
The Supreme Court on Tuesday (February 25) said that the change of government in Delhi might “solve all disputes” surrounding the Yamuna, including cleaning the river of pollutants and ensuring neighbouring Haryana, through which it flows into the city, gives up its fair share of the resource.
In 2021, the apex court had taken suo moto cognisance of these issues and has been passing orders periodically since. In this particular instance, the court's amicus curiae, Meenakshi Arora, was speaking about the dispute between the Delhi and Haryana governments.
“... but now, with the change of government, all disputes might get resolved. In these changed circumstances, better implementation may be possible,” Justice BR Gavai responded.
Also read: Air, water, land: New BJP govt in Delhi faces three-fold pollution test
Yamuna among top priorities
The comment came during a hearing on pollution in, and sharing of, water from the Yamuna, which flows through two states – Haryana and Uttar Pradesh – before reaching Delhi, which was earlier ruled by the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP).
Delhi’s new Chief Minister Rekha Gupta has already reiterated the BJP’s assurance that cleaning Yamuna river was among the BJP government’s top five priorities, which they intend to address in the first 100 days of their term in the office. The newly sworn-in Delhi ministers led by Gupta also performed ‘Yamuna aarti’ after assuming the office on February 20.
All through the campaign for the Delhi Assembly elections, the BJP targeted AAP convener and former Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal for failing to clean the Yamuna, a vow he made before the 2020 election.
The BJP also slammed Kejriwal over his allegation that the Haryana government mixed “poison” in the Yamuna water – referring to dangerously high ammonia levels – supplied to Delhi.
Also read: 'Drink if you dare': Kejriwal asks EC top brass to drink from bottles filled with Yamuna water
At loggerheads with AAP chief
Haryana Chief Minister Nayab Saini hit back at Kejriwal, accusing him of resorting to blatant lies for political benefits. The Election Commission too rapped him on the knuckles for comments “promoting disharmony” before an election.
The political battle over the polluted river – which BJP leaders, beginning with Prime Minister Narendra Modi, hailed as ‘Yamuna maiya’, before and after the election – was a major flashpoint.
The BJP has promised to clean up the river and also rolled out a three-year plan to that effect last week, deploying machines to clean the surface of the river, apart from collecting biological and plastic waste. It also ordered a crackdown on industrial units along the river, which had been feeding untreated sewage into the waters.
