Authorities fight over trash as Yamuna continues to rot

The first trash skimmer, a machine that removes floating waste from water bodies, which was procured under the third Yamuna Action Plan (YAP) seems to have fallen prey to confusion amongst authorities in Delhi. The waste cleaned from the river has been lying on the bank for the want of proper disposal which is not happening due lack of coordination among the authorities.  

With the monsoon expected by mid June, the long ridge of trash accumulated on the bank of Yamuna at Delhi’s Chhaat Ghat is likely to be washed into the river by rainfall. The trash skimmer was flagged off by the Union Water Resources Minister Uma Bharti on May 7. The machine was procured under the Centre’s ‘Namami Gange’ programme, which also included the rehabilitation and modernisation of sevral sewer treatment plants in Delhi. Cleantech Infrastructure Private Limited, who is under contract to operate the machine said that it is not their duty to remove the collected waste from the river bank. “It does not come under our scope of work. Our job is only to bring the trash floating in the river to the bank. It must be the task of government authorities to clean it up,” said a spokesperson of the company.

The Municipal Corporation (MCD) denied responsibility and blamed the Flood and Irrigation department. “It is true that picking up the waste is the duty of the Municipal Corporation. However, waste gathered at the bank originated from the river which means that it is the responsibility of the Flood and Irrigation Department,” said a senior official of the Municipal Corporation. 

The Flood and Irrigation Department dismiss the contention. V K Jain, a senior official with the department said: “Trash is trash. Wherever it originates, MCD is the authority who is responsible for cleaning it up.” The officers of the MCDs argued that only smaller drains below 60-foot roads are the responsibility of Municipal Corporations of Delhi, bigger drains are the responsibility of Public Works Departments, and these drains open into 14 huge drains which are cleaned by the Flood and Irrigation Department.