Water authority wants to run boat taxis in parts of Yamuna

NEW DELHI: Rowing through the opaque waters of the Yamuna with pungent smell of chemicals and waste hanging in the air, coupled with the sight of garbage piles and

NEW DELHI: Rowing through the opaque waters of the Yamuna with pungent smell of chemicals and waste hanging in the air, coupled with the sight of garbage piles and people defecating on the banks is likely to become a reality for Delhiites.

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The Inland Waterways Authority of India (IWAI) moved a petition at the National Green Tribunal (NGT) on Monday seeking permission to start water taxis in a portion of the polluted river.

The proposal mentioned the development of five boat-like structures, which would be anchored by cables across a portion of the river. These boats will be less than 20,000 sqm in size, the plea said.

Manoj Mishra from the Yamuna Jiye Abhiyaan, however, said that there is no merit in such projects till the Yamuna is back to being a river.

“Yamuna will not become Thames overnight. What we see now is only a dead water body, which is as good as a collection of toxic waste. Where will they implement the project?” said Mishra.

“No one would want to bear the odour and boat rides here, and even if they do, it will be a major health hazard. The infrastructure will go waste. The implementation of the project will also obstruct the restoration of the river,” he said.

The petition has, however, called the project an ‘environment friendly’ initiative. It said that five floating terminals will be set up which will be removable, and the effect on the flood plan will be insignificant.

Approach roads to the terminals will also be made from ‘kuchcha’ material. The tribunal had earlier prohibited any construction activity in the demarcated floodplain of the Yamuna.

“It is in pursuance of this order of the tribunal that the applicant is seeking the indulgence and permission of NGT for the development of an environment friendly and complimentary water transportation in the Delhi stretch of Yamuna,” the petition read.

Delhi’s water minister Kapil Mishra said that in a meeting with the IWAI last week, the upstream of Wazirabad was identified as a clean portion of the river, where the project can be implemented.

“If we get a nod from the NGT then we will go ahead with the project. The portion of the river is fairly clean and such a project can be started then. We will ensure that all the guidelines are followed,” he said.

This year, from the samples picked up from seven points between ITO and the Najafgarh Drain, the dissolved oxygen (DO) content was between 0.24 parts per million and 0.32 parts per million. DO levels in healthy water are above four. Below a DO of two, aquatic life begins to get affected.