Territorial Army Rolls Up Its Sleeves for Yamuna River Clean‑up

When you think of the army, you often picture border patrols and battlefield drills. Yet, this week a group of Territorial Army volunteers swapped camouflage for rubber gloves, stepping onto the banks of the Yamuna in Delhi.

Under the umbrella of the nation’s broader river‑revival programmes, the troops joined municipal crews in a hands‑on clean‑up that stretched for several kilometres along the river’s heartland. Their mission? Simple on paper but massive in practice: pluck plastic bottles, tangled nets and silted debris that have long choked the waterway.

“It’s an achievable mission because we are not doing it alone,” said Colonel Arvind Singh, the commanding officer of the Territorial Army unit attached to the capital. “When the army, the civic bodies and ordinary citizens all pull together, the impossible starts to look very doable.”

The effort dovetails with the government’s ongoing “Namami Gange” initiative, which, while primarily focused on the Ganga, has spurred parallel clean‑up drives for its tributaries, including the Yamuna. The Territorial Army, historically called upon for disaster relief, flood control and infrastructure projects, now adds environmental stewardship to its résumé.

On the ground, the soldiers worked side‑by‑side with Delhi’s municipal workers, using both manual tools and mechanised equipment. They lifted heavy loads of sludge, segregated recyclable waste, and even helped plant saplings along the embankments – a small step toward a greener riverbank.

Local residents watching the operation expressed a mix of surprise and admiration. “Seeing the army here gives us hope,” said Meena Kumari, a shop‑owner from the nearby Patel Nagar. “If they can do this, maybe we too can keep the river clean.”

The clean‑up is scheduled to run for two weeks, after which the teams will assess the impact and plan follow‑up activities. Officials are hopeful that the visible presence of the army will spark a lasting change in public behaviour, nudging people to think twice before tossing waste into the water.

In the end, this joint venture is more than a one‑off event; it’s a message that protecting the nation’s rivers is a shared responsibility, and that with the right mix of manpower, will, and community spirit, even a mighty river like the Yamuna can be coaxed back to health.