Meri Dilli Meri Yamuna: A Citizens Unite for a Clean River

Meri Dilli Meri YamunaMeri Dilli Meri Yamuna is a project for making a difference to our city of Delhi-NCR. What started as an initiative of The Art of Living, has now become a full blown citizen’s action plan. Dozens of civil society groups have already joined the movement and many companies including Microsoft, Educomp and Kent RO have become partners. The UNESCO, World Bank, JICA (Japan International Cooperation Agency) etc. among many others are already on board the campaign and more and more people and groups are joining every day.

Delhi-NCR is not clean – India is at the centre of the world today, poised for global leadership in future – we can’t remain dirty, something needs to happen. Commonwealth Games are in October, and it would be great to present a clean city to the world.

Over the next few weeks, the campaign aims to bring together large number of partner groups and citizens, who will together inspire a million citizens to come out and clean Delhi in September 2010. Everyone will be contributing – people and leaders from all sectors of the society will be joining, including the NGOs; corporate and business community; Resident Welfare Associations; Defence and Allied Services; Schools, Colleges, Universities; Leaders from Arts, Culture, Music, Literature, Theatre and Films; Media, Government, and every citizen of Delhi.

The plan is to begin with Yamuna first, our sacred river. Yamuna is immensely important for the economic, ecological and basic needs of the region and its people – but, over the years, it has become one of the most endangered waterway in India. Numerous attempts have not had much success, and there is confusion about what will happen in the near future. We need to join hands and increase the awareness about cleaning of the river Yamuna – more than half of 3.6 billion tonnes of sewerage produced in Delhi everyday flows into Yamuna untreated! And we are dependent on Yamuna for more than 60% of the water needed by the Delhi region.

The Meri Dilli Meri Yamuna campaign is organizing an event on March 7, 2010 16th March, 2010 at 5 pm at Purana Qila in Delhi where the citizens and leaders from all sectors and areas would be participating. This will be followed by a massive cleaning of the banks of Yamuna on March 14 by the citizens to demonstrate that ‘it is possible to make a difference’.

The campaign invites all to support our initiative of national importance, which would perhaps be an inflection point for India – the citizens coming out and taking responsibility for their surroundings and this would spur the administration to be more effective too. Let us all join hands.

Facebook ConnectEditor’s Note: Delhi Greens has already spearheaded the Meri Dilli Meri Yamuna campaign in different target zones.

Aastha Kukreti

Aastha Kukreti holds a Master’s degree in Environment Management and her areas of expertise range from waste management, pollution ecology, green audits, ecofeminism, environmental equity and social justice.

43 thoughts on “Meri Dilli Meri Yamuna: A Citizens Unite for a Clean River

  1. such a great move towards our nation i would love to join this campaign with my friends looking forward for your reply

  2. This Is Our Responsibility to keep clean our nature. It is necessary because our mostly Indian Rivers are polluted. So, Keep your nature clean and keep your Delhi clean. I thank to Aastha Kukreti(Co- Founder of Delhi Greens) and to all the members of this team.

  3. hey i am no expert to this field.we are a group of people and are willing to participate such things on a regular basis….just want some expert advice and answer to some queries…..
    if that is sought then it will be of great help….
    we are the youth of delhi
    Regards……

  4. I have been given a holiday homework of Meri Dilli Meri Yamuna initiative.Can Delhi greens.com help me?

  5. Pingback: Meri Dilli Meri Yamuna: Save our river | Sahantha
  6. Pingback: Art of Living Organizes Painting Competition on Clean Delhi | :: Delhi Greens ::
  7. Can someone let me know the schedule for the cleaning of various ghats so I could participate.

    Regards

  8. I am so glad after hearing about this plan. that plan was only in the file of government’s file. Now this comes out of file and running. And oneday we will be success. This is a great effort to make clean Yamuna and Delhi too. Delhi is the capital of India and situated bank of the river ‘Yamuna’. After some days rashtra mandal game will be taken place. And this effort make us proud in the front of world. i want to say that Yamuna is not only a polluted river in our counry but also Ganga. i think this is our first effort and will be concerned about ganga. i hope.

  9. Join in the cleaning of the Dhobi Ghat near Okhla on the 24th of March, from 7 am to 11 pm. Since this is the concluding Ghat cleaning drive, there would be a nice closing ceremony as well.

  10. hey…i’m a student of class 9. I want to participate in the ghat cleaning. iI know its too late but still two ghats are left. Where do i register for it and when should i come.I really want to take an initiative to clean the most endangered river-YAMUNA.Thanks.

  11. IN this’ RUNNIG RACE’ of which everyone is a part,
    world has moved to ‘AEROPLANE’ from the age of ‘CART’
    but india whose DIGNITY is it’s epoch long CULTURE,
    now is getting perished in the hands of it’s own countrymen,
    IT’S NOW THE TIME TO ‘RISE WORK and COMPLETE’,
    YAMUNA is gasping for BREATH, which itself is the reason for other’s breath
    so my thinking is that every youth of of india participate in this mission

  12. It is really a great effort n would like to appeal all not as a delhite but as human being to give hand to this cause……

    aao ek baar zindagi ko apni,
    sach ke tarazoo par tole..
    labzon se bahut kuch keh chuke,
    Ab apne karmon se bole..

    I m a molecular biology student of Delhi University..

    1. @Mahesh,
      my dear i was working in ICSSR, New delhi and retired on 31stJyly 2011. And just after retirement I came to Jabalpur on 8th august and shifted to Katav Ghat near a tribal village and it a beautiful forest with the joining of two rivers with an objective to generate interest in the study of the children of this backward area not because of village but the educational apptitude of teachers are very poor…I am teqching the children either belong to rich or poor class, with no m

  13. Blackwater Technology – has the correct model that can not onlu clean up the river systems but also turn our cities in to Green Cities – additionally can provide the Farmers of the region with free Organic Manure … Think…?

  14. In the words of former President of India and emminent scientist as well as one of the topmost social scientists > “Our country needs leaders of creative leaders”.

  15. Water transport cum reservoir in Delhi in Yamuna River:

    “………… The steamer service could be made well connected with the road transport up to certain points from Wazirabad to Akshardham in Delhi which would be a source of revenue out of the international and domestic tourists. The money earned out of it could be utilised for its maintenance.”….
    “…………….. This time money should not be expended without keeping monitoring of the work done and the installments should also be fixed. The next installment should only be released after satisfactory progress done certificate issued by the competent authority who has to bear accountability of the project endorsed by the Minister of tourism and /or Urban Development.”

    Sondhi V.N.
    2009

    à
    It is a strange that Delhi is facing scarcity of water while the holy River Yamuna is flowing in the heart of the city. Delhi could be more beautiful if the due care had been taken up for the river and water crisis would never have been arised. Hundreds crores of Rupees was extended for cleaning the river for no result. And more interestingly no inquiry was commissioned in this regard. The desire of undue advantage, which leads to corruption, is the basic cause of failure of any noble plan.

    It has become a fashion to pass on blame on others for any type of loss and wash our own hands and do publicity of our own cleanliness/ fairness/ honesty/ loyalty etc. This type of attitude may be seen at nuclear level of a family up to compound level at political platform. None of them feel guilty and accept their fault and do not do commitment to not repeat it, as the desire of un-due advantage has become our moral at any cost. The efforts are needed to highlight and make the people aware about the actual disadvantages of this attitude of people’s representatives for society and country as a whole.

    The lack of awareness and most of the time irresponsible attitude we waste Drinking water, which is being in scarcity day by day. If we have to stop its scarcity and easily available to every one, it is the duty of every individual and at community level as well as at Government level to do best possible efforts to stop wastage of drinking water and to restore the natural rainy water up to an optimum level so that it could be utilised and overcome its scarcity. It is the duty of the Government to run such programme at block level about the storage of rainy water. The old concept of ‘Taalab’ has been disappeared. It is one of the reasons of downing the ground water level.

    The Government should take an initiative to remove the sand of the riverbeds of Yamuna River in Delhi up to the depth required for floating for steamers and furnish garden at its bank with the expert advise of an horticulturist giving beautiful shape of land-scaping, ponds full of lily and lotus and ducks/fish. It would be a lovely attraction for tourism. The steamer service could be made well connected with the road transport up to certain points from Wazirabad to Akshardham which would be a source of revenue out of the international and domestic tourists. The money earned out of it could be utilised for its maintenance. Its major and prime objective/advantage of digging and removing the riverbeds would be to create natural long belt of reservoir for storing the rainy water. This would also save from the danger of floods and there would not be need of looking towards the neighboring states for water to remove its crisis in hot summer rather Delhi would not have fear of flood in case the neighboring state through excess water in odd weather/ situation. And the most important action should be taken by the Government to put penalties to the industrialist who are throwing unprocessed industrial waste in the river and serious action should be taken against them. The Government at the outlet points of the drainage Nalas should install the bio plants so that pollution of the river water could be stopped.

    For fulfilling this task of cleaning of Yamuna and for its beautification will not involve much budget rather the Government can earn money simultaneously of cleaning of the river. The Government may issue a public notice to invite builders and contractors to dig and carry sand from the river at nominal price viz.Rs.10/- per truck and this opportunity should be given for a certain period of time so that the work could be finished within certain framework of time (before the Common wealth Games 2010). This nominal price of sand will be an incentive to attract builders and contractors.

    The project should be started at the earliest so that it could complete before the Commonwealth Games as it would be great interest of tourism too.

    Similarly,Steamer service, land escaping and building beautiful gardens at the bank of Yamuna in the Historical city of Agra would beautify the city and could increase tourism.

    On the same lines the tourism may be enhanced in the Historical Capital of Uttar Pradesh Lucknow where Gomti River flows in the heart of the city.
    V.N.Sondhi
    19.08.2005

    Happy to note that Delhi Government is thinking to clean Yamuna and some budget has been sanctioned for its decoration in the form of land-scaping etc. However until and unless the silt layered on the riverbed is not removed the whole process would be temporary relief like a pain killer capsule. The riverbed should be cleaned up to the depth of about five meter and its surrounding should be cleaned and then land escaping should be done. Accordingly at nominal rate i.e. at token charges the builders/transporters should be given permit to dig and take away the sand of the river from the stretch of twenty-two kilometers from Wazirabad to Akshardham so that The steamer service could be made well connected with the road transport up to certain points from Wazirabad to Akshardham which would be a source of revenue out of the international and domestic tourists. In this manner some supporting revenue would be collected if not equal amount of the budget required for the beautification of the Holy River Yamuna.
    Where are those intellectuals who were running “YAMUNA JIYAO ABHIYAN”? Why do not they start some constructive program with right approach and help and force the Government to act vigilant with watchdog eyes? Because lots of money- hundreds crores of Rupees have been expended for no use, and no one has its accountability. Where are the auditors? This time money should not be expended without keeping monitoring of the work done and the installments should also be fixed. The next installment only should be released after satisfactory progress done certificate issued by the competent authority who has to bear accountability of the project endorsed by the Minister of tourism and /or Urban Development. After all it is public money.

    (V.N.Sondhi)
    16.11.2009

    Number of rivers in India are flowing through heart of the city and hundreds of crores of public money has been expended for their maintenance by our MPs/MLAs with the assistance of their associated administration but result is worse than worse. The reason is the infiltration of corruption in the nerves of the system which is known to an Hawker and up to the level of PM. The difference is in the language of expression. An Hawker can not define it in the language of political Science and Commerce as he does not possess the skill of articulation of words.

    Let the beginning from Yamuna again, one more effort. However there is probability is that our politician will encash it at the first instance for UK travel to visit Themes River and expend public money.

    When we would have Leaders of creative Leaders? It is too late now.
    The time needs groups of social activists of the caliber of freedom fighters ( not mole freedom fighters, as even in the freedom movement many knowened freedom fighters did shake hands with British. Sh.Chandrashekhar Azad had to shoot himself due to that only. The seen is same. This time, public have to face to their own people and for that a movement for Electoral Reform is must.)

    Vijay
    17.11.2009

  16. Water transport cum reservoir in Delhi in Yamuna River:

    “………… The steamer service could be made well connected with the road transport up to certain points from Wazirabad to Akshardham in Delhi which would be a source of revenue out of the international and domestic tourists. The money earned out of it could be utilised for its maintenance.”….
    “…………….. This time money should not be expended without keeping monitoring of the work done and the installments should also be fixed. The next installment should only be released after satisfactory progress done certificate issued by the competent authority who has to bear accountability of the project endorsed by the Minister of tourism and /or Urban Development.”

    Sondhi V.N.
    2005

    à
    It is a strange that Delhi is facing scarcity of water while the holy River Yamuna is flowing in the heart of the city. Delhi could be more beautiful if the due care had been taken up for the river and water crisis would never have been arised. Hundreds crores of Rupees was extended for cleaning the river for no result. And more interestingly no inquiry was commissioned in this regard. The desire of undue advantage, which leads to corruption, is the basic cause of failure of any noble plan.

    It has become a fashion to pass on blame on others for any type of loss and wash our own hands and do publicity of our own cleanliness/ fairness/ honesty/ loyalty etc. This type of attitude may be seen at nuclear level of a family up to compound level at political platform. None of them feel guilty and accept their fault and do not do commitment to not repeat it, as the desire of un-due advantage has become our moral at any cost. The efforts are needed to highlight and make the people aware about the actual disadvantages of this attitude of people’s representatives for society and country as a whole.

    The lack of awareness and most of the time irresponsible attitude we waste Drinking water, which is being in scarcity day by day. If we have to stop its scarcity and easily available to every one, it is the duty of every individual and at community level as well as at Government level to do best possible efforts to stop wastage of drinking water and to restore the natural rainy water up to an optimum level so that it could be utilised and overcome its scarcity. It is the duty of the Government to run such programme at block level about the storage of rainy water. The old concept of ‘Taalab’ has been disappeared. It is one of the reasons of downing the ground water level.

    The Government should take an initiative to remove the sand of the riverbeds of Yamuna River in Delhi up to the depth required for floating for steamers and furnish garden at its bank with the expert advise of an horticulturist giving beautiful shape of land-scaping, ponds full of lily and lotus and ducks/fish. It would be a lovely attraction for tourism. The steamer service could be made well connected with the road transport up to certain points from Wazirabad to Akshardham which would be a source of revenue out of the international and domestic tourists. The money earned out of it could be utilised for its maintenance. Its major and prime objective/advantage of digging and removing the riverbeds would be to create natural long belt of reservoir for storing the rainy water. This would also save from the danger of floods and there would not be need of looking towards the neighboring states for water to remove its crisis in hot summer rather Delhi would not have fear of flood in case the neighboring state through excess water in odd weather/ situation. And the most important action should be taken by the Government to put penalties to the industrialist who are throwing unprocessed industrial waste in the river and serious action should be taken against them. The Government at the outlet points of the drainage Nalas should install the bio plants so that pollution of the river water could be stopped.

    For fulfilling this task of cleaning of Yamuna and for its beautification will not involve much budget rather the Government can earn money simultaneously of cleaning of the river. The Government may issue a public notice to invite builders and contractors to dig and carry sand from the river at nominal price viz.Rs.10/- per truck and this opportunity should be given for a certain period of time so that the work could be finished within certain framework of time (before the Common wealth Games 2010). This nominal price of sand will be an incentive to attract builders and contractors.

    The project should be started at the earliest so that it could complete before the Commonwealth Games as it would be great interest of tourism too.

    Similarly,Steamer service, land escaping and building beautiful gardens at the bank of Yamuna in the Historical city of Agra would beautify the city and could increase tourism.

    On the same lines the tourism may be enhanced in the Historical Capital of Uttar Pradesh Lucknow where Gomti River flows in the heart of the city.
    V.N.Sondhi
    19.08.2005

    Happy to note that Delhi Government is thinking to clean Yamuna and some budget has been sanctioned for its decoration in the form of land-scaping etc. However until and unless the silt layered on the riverbed is not removed the whole process would be temporary relief like a pain killer capsule. The riverbed should be cleaned up to the depth of about five meter and its surrounding should be cleaned and then land escaping should be done. Accordingly at nominal rate i.e. at token charges the builders/transporters should be given permit to dig and take away the sand of the river from the stretch of twenty-two kilometers from Wazirabad to Akshardham so that The steamer service could be made well connected with the road transport up to certain points from Wazirabad to Akshardham which would be a source of revenue out of the international and domestic tourists. In this manner some supporting revenue would be collected if not equal amount of the budget required for the beautification of the Holy River Yamuna.
    Where are those intellectuals who were running “YAMUNA JIYAO ABHIYAN”? Why do not they start some constructive program with right approach and help and force the Government to act vigilant with watchdog eyes? Because lots of money- hundreds crores of Rupees have been expended for no use, and no one has its accountability. Where are the auditors? This time money should not be expended without keeping monitoring of the work done and the installments should also be fixed. The next installment only should be released after satisfactory progress done certificate issued by the competent authority who has to bear accountability of the project endorsed by the Minister of tourism and /or Urban Development. After all it is public money.

    (V.N.Sondhi)
    16.11.2009

    Number of rivers in India are flowing through heart of the city and hundreds of crores of public money has been expended for their maintenance by our MPs/MLAs with the assistance of their associated administration but result is worse than worse. The reason is the infiltration of corruption in the nerves of the system which is known to an Hawker and up to the level of PM. The difference is in the language of expression. An Hawker can not define it in the language of political Science and Commerce as he does not possess the skill of articulation of words.

    Let the beginning from Yamuna again, one more effort. However there is probability is that our politician will encash it at the first instance for UK travel to visit Themes River and expend public money.

    When we would have Leaders of creative Leaders? It is too late now.
    The time needs groups of social activists of the caliber of freedom fighters ( not mole freedom fighters, as even in the freedom movement many knowened freedom fighters did shake hands with British. Sh.Chandrashekhar Azad had to shoot himself due to that only. The seen is same. This time, public have to face to their own people and for that a movement for Electoral Reform is must.)

    Vijay
    17.11.2009

  17. in this’ RUNNIG RACE’ of which everyone is a part,
    world has moved to ‘AEROPLANE’ from the age of ‘CART’
    but india whose DIGNITY is it’s epoch long CULTURE,
    now is getting perished in the hands of it’s own countrymen,
    IT’S NOW THE TIME TO ‘RISE WORK and COMPLETE’,
    YAMUNA is gasping for BREATH, which itself is the reason for other’s breath.

  18. Pingback: 8 Days, 8 Ghats: Yamuna Bank Cleaning Drive | :: Delhi Greens ::
  19. yamuna saaf hogi…ek haath badhayein to sahi .sankalp karein ghar ki pooja ka samaan yamuna mein nahi daalenge aur mauka lage to ghaat per jaakar bhi safai karenge

  20. यमुना का उद्धार बिलकुल संभव है पर ये काम सरकार कभी नहीं कर सकती , ये काम शाहर वाले ही मिल कर करेंगे . अक्सर होली या दिवाली की अगली सुबह हमारे घर में बहुत सारी गन्दगी जमा हो जाती है , पर हम स्वयं ही अपने घर को साफ़ कर सही बना देते है , यमुना के साथ भी यही नजरिया रखे तो एक साल में यमुना साफ़ दिखने लगेगी .

  21. Bhawanapradhan karyon mein dhan[money] ka koi arth nahi hai. hamne dhekha YAMUNAJI ki safai mein ab tak lahbhag 1800cr rupee kharch ho chuke hain lekin unka koi bhi sukshm hissa saf nahi huia.
    Darasal sanskriti ke sanrakshan ke liye hamein apane aap ko andar se majboot karana hoga. Meri drishti mei yah bhi ek aisa hi abhiyan hai,janha se hum apani PRANDHARAON ko surakshit kar sakte hain.
    Meri raiy mein paise ko YAMUNAJI ke bahar kharch karana chahiye taki gandagi bahar hi rah jaya.

  22. Hello to all!

    @Chandni: Good to know you would like to get involved in the cleaning drive. Qudsia Park is just next to the Kashmere Gate Metro Station. Please get as much of Delhi with you as much as you can! 🙂

    @all others: Join us today at Purana Qila, 7 PM and do standby for further info!

  23. Hi!

    I am planning to attend the cleaning drive at least on one of the days. I tried looking up Qudasia Ghat but couldn’t figure out where exactly this is…could you help me out? Also, any idea whether it is close to some metro station?

    Thanks in advance! I hope to bring along a couple of friends too 🙂

    @ Richa: Although what your doubts about the efficacy of a 10 day cleaning campaign are justified, don’t you think it is better to start SOMEwhere instead of hoping for big things to happen? Any kind of mobilization cum awareness campaign is definitely better than no action at all.

  24. Pingback: Invite: Launch of Meri Dilli Meri Yamuna Citizen’s Initiative | :: Delhi Greens ::
  25. True indeed. The river cannot be cleaned on a day or even a week…and especially not at all if the root cause of all the pollution is not identified…and..for lack of better word…uprooted.

    One idea, easier to implement, though unfortunately easier said than done, is to check our own wasteful (mis)use of water. A reduced consumption implies a reduction in the waste water load and can go a long way in making a difference especially when this is realized by each and every citizen of Delhi.

  26. The effort and intention behind the porgram is well appreciable.
    But I think it should not be a matter of a week or 10 days to clean the river.

    The root cause thats pollutng the river needs to be tackled.

    Otherwise it just ends up treating the symptoms and not the real cause.

    Any ideas…

  27. Will be participating on march 07 …….
    !!!!!!!!!!BUT!!!!!!!!!!

    3.6 billion tonnes of untreated sewerage EVERY DAY!!!
    are there any steps taken to stop this, i mean any other alternatives????

    coz otherwise all the efforts would go down the drain/yamuna :(……

  28. “Mahilayen Pragati Ki Ore”NGO said,
    February 23, 2010 at 9:22 pm

    Hi,

    I am associated with Delhi Jal Board in DELHI. our orgainstaion is willing to participate in this drive to clean yamuna.

    Please advise us how can our organistaion and employees contribute to this noble cause.

    Thanks
    9212002405

  29. Hi,

    I am associated with Delhi Jal Board in DELHI. our orgainstaion is willing to participate in this drive to clean yamuna.

    Please advise us how can our organistaion and employees contribute to this noble cause.

    Thanks

  30. Hi,

    I am associated with a telecom MNC in gurgaon. As part of CSR initiative, our orgainstaion is willing to participate in this drive to clean yamuna.

    Please advise us how can our organistaion and employees contribute to this noble cause.

    Thanks

  31. Dear Rohit,

    Thank you for writing in. We would just get in touch with you via email.

    Stay Green,
    Delhi Greens

  32. I run an environment education initiative in schools across Delhi. I would love to get associated with the campaign by bringing in school students frm differenct schools. It would also be a great learning opportunity for the school students to learn from the initiative and get sensitized to real actionable ideas.

    Looking forward to hearing from you.

    Regards
    Rohit

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