Delhi LG VK Saxena visits Wazirabad drain, says sure of meeting Yamuna cleanup target

NEW DELHI: Lieutenant-governor V K Saxena on Sunday reviewed steps being taken to revive the supplementary drain at Wazirabad.
The drain is one the major ones flowing into the Yamuna.
A campaign was launched to clean the Yamuna in a time-bound manner after the National Green Tribunal constituted a high-level committee, headed by the LG.
To treat the water in the drain, a “drain biochemical oxygen (BOD) reducing” technique has been adopted under which various contraptions in the form of a lime and alum box and improvised stone weir have been installed in the drain.A debris catcher net, floating boom and rotors for oxygenation of water have been put in place. Besides, the water has been completely cleaned of all garbage, hyacinth and plastic waste using floating booms and a mechanized conveyor machine installed along the river bank.
The BOD is the amount of dissolved oxygen needed by aerobic biological organisms to break down organic material present in a given water sample at a certain temperature over a specific time period. Low BOD means less oxygen is being removed from water, so the water is healthier.
The trial of the “drain BOD reducing” technique was first done at Qudsia Ghat and has now been replicated in the supplementary drain.
“The cleaning of water is being done using old, traditional techniques that involve the use of stone chips and limestone that is not only eco-friendly, but also cost-effective and less time-consuming,” an official said. The territorial army provided by the National Mission for Clean Ganga (NMCG) is ensuring that the cleaned stretches of the flood plains are not polluted or encroached upon again.
An artificial wetland system comprising root treatment plants, namely Canna Indica and Vetirvar Grass, have been created to clean the sewage water in the drain.
While inspecting the supplementary drain, Saxena said, “We are tapping all drains which meet the Najafgarh drain. Around 15-16 drains have been tapped. The work of cleaning Yamuna is going on in mission mode and 22 km is being cleaned. I am confident that we will be successful in meeting our target by June 30. People in Delhi will get to see Yamuna in a different shape.”