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Sewer river

Sewer river after cracking the whip on the Delhi government to clean up Delhi's air, the Supreme Court ( sc) has set its eyes on cleaning up the Yamuna. On April 10, 2001, the apex court asked the Delhi government to clean up the river by March 31, 2003. The bench comprising Justice B N Kirpal, Justice Ruma Paul and Justice Brajesh Kumar said that "one can't deny the fact that Article 21 even includes right to clean water, and this is the right which 13.8 million citizens of Delhi are deprived of.' The bench felt that the water of Yamuna is much cleaner when it enters Delhi, but becomes dirty when it reaches the Agra canal.

Criticising the government for its laxity, the court observed: "No effective steps have been taken by the government to improve the water quality. This shows the lack of proper governance.' On November 8, 2000, the court accepted an integrated action plan proposed by the government to improve the water quality of Yamuna. But now "the government has pleaded helplessness in implementing the same in its entirety.'

The bench has asked the ministry of urban development to file another affidavit indicating "as to how its integrated action plan can be implemented within the prescribed time frame.' The court has also asked the chief secretary of the Delhi government to file an affidavit stating "what steps would be taken to improve the quality of water, so that the river can no longer be called

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