By Chandan Singh | Page 3 News Worldwide | New Delhi
New Delhi: In a major push towards restoring the Yamuna’s ecological health, Delhi Chief Minister Rekha Gupta on Sunday led a massive riverbank cleanliness campaign across 28 ghats and riverfront locations, transforming the Yamuna rejuvenation mission into a city-wide public movement.
Joining citizens, volunteers and community groups at Geeta Colony Ghat, the Chief Minister actively participated in the clean-up exercise and called for collective responsibility in safeguarding the river. The campaign witnessed the participation of thousands of volunteers from more than 500 social, religious and voluntary organisations, who carried out simultaneous cleanliness drives along nearly 22 kilometres of the Yamuna riverfront.
Addressing participants, Gupta described the Yamuna as a symbol of faith, culture and life for millions and stressed that lasting change would require both government action and public cooperation. She urged citizens to refrain from dumping plastic waste, religious offerings, idols and other materials into the river, noting that large quantities of such waste were removed during the drive.
Highlighting the government’s long-term strategy, the Chief Minister said Yamuna rejuvenation remains one of the Delhi Government’s top priorities. She announced that projects worth over ₹1,000 crore have been approved to improve sewage management, strengthen water conservation and prevent pollution from entering the river system.
Among the key initiatives, 12 decentralised sewage treatment plants are being established in the Najafgarh region under the AMRUT scheme at a cost of ₹860 crore. The government is also fast-tracking the upgradation of the Keshopur Sewage Treatment Plant and expanding rainwater harvesting infrastructure.
The cleanliness campaign was conducted simultaneously at major riverfront locations including Geeta Colony, Kalindi Kunj, ITO, Nizamuddin, Nigam Bodh Ghat, Sonia Vihar, Wazirabad and Mayur Vihar. Public representatives, government officials and local residents joined hands to reaffirm their commitment to a cleaner and free-flowing Yamuna.
During the event, Gupta administered a public pledge encouraging citizens to avoid immersing religious materials in the river, reduce the use of single-use plastics and actively promote awareness about river conservation.
Expressing confidence in the mission, the Chief Minister said sustained public participation and continuous government efforts would help restore the Yamuna to its pristine glory, making it a cleaner and healthier lifeline for future generations.
