Amit Shah Unveils Rs 1,816 Cr Plan to Clean Yamuna

New Delhi: The Yamuna river’s long battle for revival received a significant boost on Thursday as Union Home Minister Amit Shah unveiled projects worth Rs 1,816 crore to clean and rejuvenate Delhi’s lifeline, promising a pollution-free Yamuna under Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s leadership.

The initiative includes not only clean water supply schemes but also several special projects for rejuvenation and purification of the river.

Chief Minister Rekha Gupta, Water Minister Parvesh Verma, and other Cabinet colleagues were present at the event.

Speaking on the occasion, Shah criticised the previous AAP and Congress governments, accusing them of corruption and inaction on river cleaning efforts. He said the government’s resolve to clean the Yamuna was not political, but a tribute to the river’s sacred status among people.

“Today’s programme holds great significance. Modi had said that cleaning the Yamuna would be a top priority and would be completed before the next Lok Sabha elections. Even the AAP government had promised to rejuvenate the river and said they would take a dip in it,” Shah remarked.

Taking a swipe at AAP leader Arvind Kejriwal, he added, “They didn’t do it, but Parvesh Verma ensured that their cutout took a dip. The cutout became ill and had to be admitted to Safdarjung Hospital.”

Shah said that during a meeting chaired by the Prime Minister, it was decided that curbing corruption and cutting down on wasteful advertisements would help clear the way for effective river cleaning.

He also announced, “By January 1, 2028, you won’t find any garbage mountains in Delhi. A beautiful garden will come up in their place.”

Accusing the AAP government of blocking central schemes in Delhi, Mr Shah praised the Rekha Gupta-led administration for implementing the Ayushman Bharat Yojana in its very first week.

Chief Minister Gupta said that restoring the Yamuna to its natural purity is among her government’s top priorities, with full support from the Centre.

Delhi BJP chief Virendra Sachdeva lauded the state government for launching projects aimed at cleaning the Yamuna and strengthening Delhi’s sewer and drinking water systems, calling it a long-overdue relief for citizens.