On govt wishlist: A clean Yamuna, slum-free Delhi

Checking pollution in the Yamuna, conserving and recycling water to meet Delhi’s ever-increasing demand and making Delhi a slum-free state will be some of the priorities of the government in the next five years.

Checking pollution in the Yamuna, conserving and recycling water to meet Delhi’s ever-increasing demand and making Delhi a slum-free state will be some of the priorities of the government in the next five years.

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If development was the underlying theme of 11th five-year plan in 2007-2012, the government said social sectors will be the thrust area during the 12 plan.

The approach paper prepared by the Delhi government for the 12th five-year plan recommends a substantial increase in its plan outlay for the social services sectors. In the economic survey report for 2012-13, the government detailed the projects, programmes and policy initiatives it is going to take in the next five years.

The government promises to ensure that only treated waste water will be discharged into the Yamuna to check pollution of the river. It stresses on making optimum use of available raw water, treat-recycle-reuse waste water and groundwater recharge to meet the rising water demand.
Since there is no progress on the proposed new reservoirs (Renuka, Kishau and Lakhwar-Vyasi) the government admits that additional raw water will not be available to the city even during the 12th plan period.

The government noted that the number of private vehicles, increasing at 7.4% annually, were adding to traffic congestion, reduced traffic flow, pollution and lack of parking space and accidents.

The government said there was a need for more convenient and assured multi-modal public transport system covering all areas in the next five years.