7 months ago
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Chief Minister Rekha Gupta connected Tuesday assured that the radical of Delhi would not spot froth floating connected the Yamuna stream during this year’s Chhath Puja, a recurring show successful the past that highlighted the city’s contamination woes.
Speaking astatine an lawsuit astatine the Delhi Secretariat, Ms. Gupta said the Delhi Jal Board (DJB) has made “full preparations” up of the festival. “Just similar you did not spot waterlogging astatine Minto Bridge this time, radical of Delhi volition not spot froth connected the Yamuna,” she said.
The Minto Bridge underpass, which often floods aft dense rainfall, was closed for postulation connected July 29 this year. A akin incidental successful May prompted Ms. Gupta to instrumentality disciplinary enactment against 2 Public Works Department officials for “negligence”.
The Chief Minister said the authorities is focusing connected upgrading sewage attraction plants, tendering caller ones, and conducting drone mapping of drains to place untreated discharge entering the Yamuna. “I person afloat religion that, with time, the radical of Delhi volition spot a cleanable Yamuna,” she said.
Ms. Gupta made the remarks during an lawsuit wherever she announced the waiver of precocious outgo surcharges (LPSC) connected home h2o bills, portion of a Delhi Jal Board inaugural to easiness fiscal burdens connected consumers. On September 26, Water Minister Parvesh Sahib Singh announced a 100% waiver connected the LPSC for each home and authorities consumers until January 31, 2026, nether a caller authorities scheme. Ms. Gupta said the inaugural volition waive astir ₹11,000 crore successful surcharges. “We privation to guarantee that nary user is deprived of h2o services due to the fact that of aged dues oregon method issues,” she added. An authoritative said a notification connected the strategy would beryllium issued soon, aft which residents tin statesman availing themselves of the benefits.
‘Deepavali gift’
Mr. Singh described the determination arsenic a “Deepavali gift” to Delhi residents. “While this whitethorn effect successful fiscal nonaccomplishment for the DJB, it volition greatly payment the public. Our authorities is modernising and strengthening the DJB system, expanding h2o consumers, enhancing sewer facilities, and moving to support the Yamuna clean,” helium said. Before launching the scheme, Ms. Gupta said the DJB resolved method glitches successful its billing strategy that had antecedently hindered caller user additions.
‘Misleading scheme’
The Aam Aadmi Party (AAP), however, described the h2o strategy arsenic “ineffective and misleading”. AAP’s Delhi portion president Saurabh Bharadwaj said it fails to close erroneous bills from the COVID-19 play and “forces radical to wage faulty amounts nether the guise of waiving surcharges”.
Ms. Gupta, meanwhile, besides reviewed facilities astatine the New Delhi Railway Station, inspecting platforms and interacting with people. She directed officials to guarantee creaseless rider absorption and information during the festive rush.
