New Delhi, Feb 15 (IANS): Delhi Lt. Governor V.K. Saxena will launch an intensive cleaning operation on the Yamuna floodplains on Thursday.

The L-G, on this occasion, would, for the first time, draft the Territorial Army in the Yamuna cleaning operations.

The 94-member company of the Territorial Army will be ensuring ground level enforcement and monitoring of all untrapped drains and sub-drains that pollute the Yamuna.

The second meeting of the 'High Level Committee' on Rejuvenation of the River Yamuna was held on Tuesday wherein the L-G reviewed the progress of the work and the Action Taken Report with regards to trapping of drains, de-silting of sewers, status of Sewage Treatment Plants (STPs) and Common Effluent Treatment Plants (CETPs), redevelopment of Yamuna floodplains and penal action against water polluting industries for violation, among others.

The L-G was informed that after the first HLC meeting, 13 sub-drains of Najafgarh Drain have been completely trapped and 3.03 km of trunk/peripheral sewer lines have been completely de-silted.

Further, inspections were conducted at 88 water polluting units after the first HLC meeting and water and power connections to 12 polluting units were disconnected and a penalty of Rs 53 lakh was imposed.

Regarding the progress of the tasks related to trapping of drains, de-silting of sewer lines, creating sewer networks in unauthorised residential colonies and drainage systems in jhuggi-jhopdi clusters, the L-G was informed that all major/sub drains would be trapped in the next six months i.e. by September 2023.

L-G Saxena told the concerned agencies to strictly adhere to the committed timelines and warned against any laxity in executing these projects.

The L-G also asked all agencies to make concerted efforts so as to bring about a drastic change in the water quality of Yamuna in the next six months.