Flagging the threat of floods because of illegal mining along the Yamuna river, Delhi Chief Minister Rekha Gupta wrote to her Uttar Pradesh counterpart, Yogi Adityanath, on Monday. In her letter, CM Gupta urged that immediate steps must be taken by the UP government to curb illegal sand mining in the parts of the river that border UP.The illegal mining is weakening the river’s embankments, she said, increasing the risk of flooding. The CM also said that the National Green Tribunal (NGT) has raised concerns about the issue in the area. The NGT has, over the past decade, taken suo motu cognizance of several instances of illegal mining in Haryana, Uttar Pradesh, and Delhi.With heavy rain being experienced in the hill states of Uttarakhand and Himachal Pradesh, the water level in the Yamuna is expected to rise in the coming days.The BJP government in Delhi had earlier said that it would ensure that excess water from the Yamuna does not reach arterial roads in the Capital like it had in 2023. The Delhi CM’s outreach, officials said, is part of the plan to ensure that this promise is fulfilled.Yamuna flows through Haryana into Delhi and then into UP. Districts in UP, such as Ghaziabad and Baghpat, through which the Yamuna flows, have reported cases of illegal mining in the past.Gupta wrote in her letter that the illegal activities were becoming a cause of serious ecological damage. Illegal sand mining is an inter-state issue, she underlined, seeking a joint and coordinated enforcement system involving UP and Delhi to check it.A statement from the Office of the Delhi CM said, “The Delhi CM urged Yogi Adityanath to direct Uttar Pradesh officials to carry out a joint inter-state demarcation so that ecological balance could be effectively safeguarded through coordinated efforts of the two states.”Story continues below this adOfficials said the Flood and Irrigation Department and top bureaucrats were in touch with their UP counterparts and had provided examples and details of illegal mining in the bordering areas, and a crackdown was expected soon.Stay updated with the latest - Click here to follow us on Instagram© The Indian Express Pvt LtdTags:delhi yamuna riverillegal sand mining