Illegal sand mining in Haryana leading to unprecedented drop in Yamuna level: DJB chief

Delhi Jal Board Vice Chairman Saurabh Bhardwaj on Tuesday inspected the Wazirabad Water Treatment Plant as the water level in the Yamuna River dropped further than its the normal level.

He claimed that the key reason for decreasing water level in Yamuna is not rising temperatures but rampant and indiscriminate illegal sand mining in the river in Haryana.

Hitting out at Haryana government, he asked why it is ignoring illegal sand mining in the river.

The sand mafia has set up temporary bridges in the middle of the Yamuna for illegal mining and the movement of trucks, and has also dug illegal big pits in the river bed by digging out the sand in huge quantities, due to which the Yamuna water is not reaching Delhi in sufficient quantity, he alleged.

Bhardwaj said that as per the court's order, mining in Yamuna is completely illegal. He alleged that the sand mafia had stopped the Yamuna water released for Delhi in an area of about 7-8 km from Yamunanagar in Haryana, where the sand mafia is indiscriminately mining sand.

"How the sand mafia is carrying out sand mining on such a large scale in the Yamuna, and the government of Haryana remains unaware of it," he asked, adding that Delhi government had brought this matter to the notice of the Haryana government and demanded strict action against the sand mafia.

The Delhi Jal Board Vice-Chairman said that this time, the water level of Yamuna near Wazirabad Barrage has suddenly gone down to 671.7 feet in the month of February itself, as against the normal level of 674.5 feet.