We may have to prevent CWG visitors from going to Yamuna: Gill

Concerned over the poor state of the Yamuna, Sports Minister M S Gill on Friday wondered whether the authorities will have to stop foreign visitors from going near the river during the Commonwealth Games here in October.

"Having turned into a drain, Yamuna is a horror today," Gill said at the 'Brand: CWG Delhi 2010' event organised by industry association ASSOCHAM.

"With such a high level of pollution we might have to prevent all our foreign visitors from going near the river," the minister said.

Noting that all efforts undertaken to cleanse the river were proving futile, he said, "On the one hand, we call rivers like Yamuna as our religious symbols from which we try to gain spiritual comfort but on the other hand we use them as drains for our city."

"Yamuna is a horror and we are surprised that we still have religious relation with it as also rivers like Ganga but we do little to protect our religious symbols," he said while elaborating on various steps being taken to spruce up the city during the mega sports event.

"Over 10,000 athletes besides lakhs of tourists are expected to descend on Delhi to watch the event. Hence we need to be a good host and present the city's best features," the minister added.

Gill also expressed his disappointment over the industry's failure to prevent effluent discharge into the river. The industry has a role to play in keeping the Yamuna clean, he noted.

As many as 18 drains in the city are flowing into the Yamuna, adding to the municipal sewage and industrial effluents which are mainly responsible for water-borne diseases as well degradation of water quality.