‘Changed circumstances’ in Delhi power corridors may see better implementation of Yamuna clean-up plan: SC

A trash skimmer is being used to clean the Yamuna river in Delhi on February 22, 2025.
| Photo Credit: Shiv Kumar Pushpakar

The Supreme Court on Tuesday (February 25, 2025) indicated that “changed circumstances” in the corridors of power following the Bharatiya Janata Party’s win in the Delhi elections may see the smoother implementation of plans like cleaning the Yamuna river.

“Now, with changed circumstances, there will be a better implementation of plans,” Justice B.R. Gavai, heading a Bench comprising Justice A.G. Masih, remarked.

The new Chief Minister of Delhi, Rekha Gupta, has reiterated the BJP’s assurance that cleaning the Yamuna was among the top five priorities of the first 100 days of the new government in the national capital.

The Bench was hearing a suo motu case ‘In Re: Remediation of Pollution in Rivers’, which primarily focussed on the unabated flow of effluents into the Yamuna, making its water toxic.

Amicus curiae, senior advocate Meenakshi Arora, recommended the apex court to return the case to the National Green Tribunal, which had been monitoring the pollution in Yamuna through the River Yamuna Monitoring Committee led by former Delhi Chief Secretary Shailaja Chandra.

The Tribunal had disbanded the committee when the apex court took suo motu cognisance of the issue in 2021. However, the case has lain stagnant in the top court for the past four years.

The Bench directed Additional Solicitor General Aidhwarya Bhati, appearing for both the Centre and the Delhi government, to take instructions from the Environment Ministry on any measures to clean the river. Ms. Bhati was also asked to find out if a similar case was pending before any other Bench of the apex court, in which case they could be clubbed together for hearing on the next date.

The suo motu case was registered by the top court in 2021 after the Delhi Jal Board (DJB) had accused Haryana of discharging pollutants into the Yamuna, due to which there was an alarming increase in ammonia levels in the water.

The court had issued notice to the Centre, the Ministries of Environment and Housing and Urban Affairs and the Central Pollution Control Board (CPCB).

The court had also sought response from the States of Uttarakhand, Himachal Pradesh, Haryana, Delhi and Uttar Pradesh. It had included the States of Madhya Pradesh and Rajasthan as parties.

“It is the duty of the State to ensure access to clean drinking water which is included in the right to life… The mandate of law is clear as far as setting up of Sewage Treatment Plants and stoppage of sewage effluents in surface water are concerned, but it is often found that either the sewage is not treated through a plant before being discharged or the treatment plants are not functional,” the court had said in an earlier order in the suo motu case.

Published – February 25, 2025 01:09 pm IST

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