Delhi chief minister Rekha Gupta on Thursday launched a mobile application to enlist citizens in the Yamuna cleanliness drive, aiming to turn river conservation into a public campaign.
The chief minister urged students to take the campaign’s message beyond their campuses and into their families and communities, saying young people could contribute through technology, innovation and public participation.
“Cleaning the Yamuna is not only the government’s responsibility. Encouraging students, teachers and social organisations to register, Gupta said thousands of students from 30 DU colleges will pledge for the cleanliness and conservation of the Yamuna on October 18. Union minister of state Harsh Malhotra said over ₹ 3,000 crore had been allocated for cleaning the Yamuna.
The app — “Main Bhi Yamuna Prahari” — was launched at Delhi University’s Sports Complex under the government’s Seva Sankalp Campaign. The active participation of every citizen, particularly the youth, is essential to turn this campaign into a people’s movement,” Gupta said. He said projects were being undertaken to prevent drains from discharging into the river and to treat sewage. Gupta said government interventions alone would not be sufficient to address the river’s pollution and called for changes in citizens’ everyday practices. Immersion of puja material, flowers, garlands, damaged idols and other items in the river added to the pollution burden, she said.
Registration on the app also began on Thursday.
