Chandigarh, October 17, 2025 — Haryana has intensified efforts to clean the Yamuna ahead of Chhath Puja, with Chief Secretary Anurag Rastogi directing urban local bodies and irrigation departments to immediately remove solid waste from drains and riverbanks.
Rastogi, while reviewing preparations for the festival, said inter-departmental measures have been strengthened, focusing on upgraded infrastructure, strict pollution control, and sustained ecological balance. “For the next 15 days, a coordinated enforcement drive will be carried out by the police, municipal corporations, Public Health Engineering Department (PHED), and development and panchayat authorities to prevent illegal disposal of sewage or tanker waste into the river,” he noted. PHED will deploy tankers to transport sewage to existing treatment plants wherever capacity permits, while deputy commissioners and sub-divisional magistrates will monitor compliance at the district level.
The Chief Secretary instructed municipal corporations to deploy adequate manpower and machinery to ensure ghats and river stretches remain clean and accessible throughout the festive period. He further directed departments including PHED, Haryana Shahari Vikas Pradhikaran (HSVP), Haryana State Industrial and Infrastructure Development Corporation (HSIIDC), GMDA, ULBs, and Haryana State Pollution Control Board (HSPCB) to identify industries with the potential to discharge pollutants into the river or its drains and maintain strict surveillance over their operations.
Rastogi also reviewed the progress of sewage treatment plant (STP) projects in the Yamuna catchment area. Projects with a combined capacity of 107 million litres per day (MLD) are expected to be completed by March 2027. Six irrigation projects using treated wastewater are underway at Behrampur, Kanheli, Karnal, Haikat Nagar, Shiv Colony, and Jattal Road in Panipat, with a total treatment capacity of 158 MLD. The projects, costing approximately ₹253 crore, are advancing steadily, with progress ranging from 35% to 90% across different sites.
To safeguard the river and its tributaries, fencing work is being carried out at 364 bridge locations across Haryana, with the highest numbers in Sirsa (74), Kurukshetra (73), Charkhi Dadri (50), and Kaithal (37). Additionally, 79 ghats across 19 regions have been identified for cleaning and maintenance. Of these, 40 existing ghats have already been upgraded, while 39 new ghats are under development. Major work is ongoing in Hisar, Karnal, Yamunanagar, and Sirsa to ensure safe and clean facilities for devotees during Chhath Puja.
Rastogi said that these coordinated measures aim not only to facilitate festival celebrations but also to protect the ecological health of the Yamuna and its tributaries in the long term.
