Amid concerning reports of rising pollution in the Yamuna River due to the discharge of untreated effluent, officials of the Haryana State Pollution Control Board (HSPCB), including chairman Vinay Pratap Singh, visited the ground on Wednesday to identify and plug major untreated discharge points polluting the river, a key source of water in Delhi.The officials will also monitor the drains using drones, and regular meetings will be conducted with the owners of industries identified as grossly polluting. (HT File)Officials said that three special teams will maintain vigil across all districts in the Yamuna catchment area and utilise drones to monitor the drains. The field visit comes as the state government issued strict directions against untreated sewage and industrial effluents flowing through drains from Yamunanagar to Faridabad.As officials state, 11 major discharge points have come under the scanner where untreated or partially treated waste is allegedly entering the drainage network connected to the Yamuna. With pollution levels in the river repeatedly triggering concern in BJP-ruled Delhi and NCR, the issue has once again pushed state agencies into action mode.A senior HSPCB official said that after a review meeting held by Haryana chief secretary Anurag Rastogi, top officials were told to take immediate and concrete steps to cut down pollution levels in the river before it enters Delhi.Leading this drive under the Yamuna Action Plan (YAP), the HSPCB chairman reviewed the functioning and upgradation of sewage treatment plants (STPs), development of common effluent treatment plants (CETPs), sewer-line projects and industrial effluent management systems being implemented by various departments in Panipat and Sonepat districts.Accompanied by officials from municipal corporations, the public health engineering department (PHED), the irrigation department, HSIIDC, HSVP, and panchayati raj institutions, he inspected Drain No. 1, Drain No. 2, and Drain No. 6, which are considered among the critical channels carrying wastewater towards the Yamuna basin.He directed all concerned departments to ensure 100% collection and treatment of sewage and asked them to immediately remove administrative and technical bottlenecks delaying ongoing projects. Departments were instructed to escalate unresolved issues with higher authorities within two days for faster resolution.Officials privy to the matter said the inspection focused on identifying untreated discharge points, incomplete sewer connectivity and areas where sewage continues to bypass treatment systems.As per the action plan, three different teams involving the officials from various departments will keep a vigil in all the districts located in the Yamuna catchment area. They will file their reports on the same day so that immediate action can be taken against the errant industrialists.The officials will also monitor the drains using drones, and regular meetings will be conducted with the owners of industries identified as grossly polluting.