New Delhi, March 18 (NationPress) A political controversy and public outcry emerged on Wednesday after the Delhi government issued a tender valued at Rs 6.2 crore for two "VIP inspection boats" intended for monitoring and survey activities on the Yamuna river. This announcement comes at a time when alarming levels of froth were seen drifting on the river near Kalindi Kunj, escalating environmental concerns.

The Irrigation and Flood Control (I&FC) Department published the tender on March 12 to acquire two vessels, with each boat projected to cost approximately Rs 3.1 crore. The tender documentation indicates that these boats will facilitate river monitoring, surveys, and inspection visits by senior officials.

However, this initiative faced harsh condemnation from the Congress party.

Congress National Secretary Abhishek Dutt claimed that the government was prioritizing costly boats over addressing the escalating pollution in the Yamuna.

“Currently, pink foam is prominently visible in the Yamuna. This pink foam is a mix of sewage, industrial waste, and dry waste. The pollution levels are drastically higher than what is acceptable for the Yamuna. Yet, the government shows no remorse; they are acquiring boats worth Rs 6 crore,” he stated in an interview with IANS.

In response to the backlash, Delhi Assembly Deputy Speaker Mohan Singh Bisht argued that the pollution in the Yamuna stemmed from the long-term negligence of prior governments.

“It is accurate that we all share some responsibility for the Yamuna’s water turning pink. Drains have historically flowed directly into the Yamuna. The Congress was in power for 15 years, and the Kejriwal government for 11 years, during which there was a lack of installation of effluent treatment plants (ETPs). If ETPs had been established, the water would not have turned pink, nor would it have been polluted and fish would not have perished. Our government has only been in power for a year; we have already initiated efforts to clean the Yamuna,” he mentioned.

BJP MLA Anil Goyal also defended the government, asserting that measures to restore the river were already in progress.

“Since the inception of our government, the cleaning of the Yamuna has been a continuous process. Furthermore, 22 drains discharge into the Yamuna in Delhi, of which 11 have been dyke-set and treatment plants installed,” he said.

Meanwhile, residents living in proximity to the river voiced their worries regarding the visible pollution and froth in the water.

“As you can observe, foam is widespread here. This drain will flow and mix into the Yamuna river,” remarked a local resident in an interview with IANS.

Another resident emphasized that cleaning the river should be the main priority.

“First, focus on cleaning the Yamuna, then deploy any boats you wish. The Najafgarh drain, which carries polluted water and foam, continues to flow into the Yamuna, contaminating it further,” the resident added.

This development occurs at a moment when froth and polluted water are visible at multiple stretches of the Yamuna, inciting criticism from both the Opposition and local residents regarding the government’s priorities.