Will work across party lines to clean Yamuna: Delhi minister

The central and Delhi governments on Wednesday agreed to jointly work to clean the Yamuna river, Delhi's Water Minister Kapil Mishra said.

Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal and Mishra had a meeting with three union ministers -- Urban Development Minister M. Venkaiah Naidu, Water Resources Minister Uma Bharti and Shipping Minister Nitin Gadkari.

"Several issues related to Yamuna were discussed. We will work across party lines to develop the river," Mishra told IANS.

"The Delhi government and the three central ministries will prepare respective reports and meet in a month," he said.

Plans for flood water harvesting and developing tourist spots alongside the river were also discussed.

The Yamuna, venerated by Hindus, originates from the Yamunotri glacier, at 6,387 metres above sea level in the Himalayas. It flows through Uttarakhand, Delhi and Uttar Pradesh before merging with the Ganga in Allahabad.

The river accounts for 70 percent of Delhi's water needs.

The Yamuna is considered largely clean from Yamunotri until Wazirabad in northeast Delhi when the polluted stretch starts.