New Delhi, 18 October (H.S.): Delhi Assembly Speaker Vijender Gupta on Sunday said that society had allowed the river that had nurtured its civilisation for generations to become polluted. Emphasising the Yamuna’s vital role in sustaining agriculture, livelihoods and life itself, he said its revival was not only a responsibility towards the present generation but also a duty towards those yet to come.

Vijender Gupta expressed these views while participating in a cleanliness drive under the ‘Chalo Yamuna Abhiyan’ along with local residents and volunteers at Ramp No. 3, Shyam Ghat-3, on the banks of the Yamuna.

Taking part in the voluntary community service initiative, the Assembly Speaker called for a sustained people’s movement driven by continuous public participation to restore the river. He stressed that efforts to revive the Yamuna must go beyond occasional cleanliness drives and become a shared civic responsibility.

Addressing the gathering, Vijender Gupta said the success of the Yamuna rejuvenation efforts should not be measured merely by the amount of waste removed. Instead, the real measure of progress should be the restoration of a clean river with an uninterrupted flow, integrated into the everyday lives of Delhi’s residents.

Highlighting the river’s historical and cultural significance, he said the ultimate objective should be to revitalise its banks and ghats as accessible public spaces where families could gather and visitors could witness the transformation firsthand.

He expressed hope that people from Delhi and other parts of the country would return to the Yamuna’s ghats and see for themselves what collective determination could achieve. Urging citizens to translate their commitment to a clean Yamuna into sustained action, he said the campaign must continue until meaningful and lasting improvements become clearly visible.

Vijender Gupta emphasised that environmental protection was not the responsibility of any single political party or institution but a collective obligation of society as a whole. He said the government, the Legislative Assembly, concerned departments, institutions, social organisations and citizens must work together to achieve the common goal.

He added that the commitment to rejuvenating the Yamuna would become meaningful only when continuous public participation strengthened government initiatives and the impact of these efforts was reflected in the river’s actual condition. The collective objective, he said, should be to pass on a clean river and a healthy environment to future generations.

Reiterating that responsibility for the Yamuna’s revival could not rest with the government alone, the Assembly Speaker called upon local residents, non-governmental organisations, resident welfare associations (RWAs), youth groups and voluntary organisations to participate in a coordinated manner.

He stressed that active community involvement must complement government initiatives to ensure that the rejuvenation campaign delivers sustainable and lasting results.

Hindusthan Samachar / Jun Sarkar