Union Home Minister Amit Shah on Thursday launched a Rs 8,941 crore package of Delhi Jal Board projects that the BJP government says will finally stop untreated sewage from flowing into the Yamuna. Speaking in south-west Delhi alongside Chief Minister Rekha Gupta, Shah set May 2029 as the target to hand Delhiites a visibly cleaner river – and used the stage, on his birthday, to take pointed aim at Rahul Gandhi and the Aam Aadmi Party.
Of the 43 projects, 10 worth Rs 2,827.11 crore were inaugurated and foundation stones were laid for 33 more worth Rs 6,114.11 crore. Lieutenant Governor Taranjit Singh Sandhu, Union Minister of State Harsh Malhotra and Delhi Water Minister Parvesh Sahib Singh Verma were also present.
What the Rs 8,941 crore will pay for
The package is built around one simple idea: catch Delhi's sewage before it reaches the river, treat it and reuse it. The biggest single item is a new 124 MGD sewage treatment plant at Okhla. Eight existing plants will be upgraded, while dozens of smaller decentralised plants will serve outer Delhi's unauthorised colonies and villages, many of which have never had a proper sewer line.
| Project | Cost and scale |
| Okhla sewage treatment plant | Rs 1,161 crore; 124 MGD |
| Upgrade of 8 existing STPs | Rs 1,041 crore; capacity up from 78.2 to 140.8 MGD; about 78.5 lakh beneficiaries |
| 29 decentralised STPs and pumping stations | Rs 3,113.67 crore; 358 unauthorised colonies and 113 villages; about 36.29 lakh residents |
| New sewer network | Rs 1,691 crore; 1,034 km |
| Chandrawal water treatment plant | Rs 298.3 crore; 477 MLD; about 22 lakh people; replaces 1935 and 1955 units |
| Mundka trunk drain | Rs 225.02 crore; 4.5 km |
Officials say the works should be finished in two to two-and-a-half years, with a visible change in the river expected in about 18 months.
Shah: 'Backbone' of Yamuna cleaning
Shah described the projects as "the backbone for the cleaning of the Yamuna" and claimed the government had already covered more than 40 per cent of the journey towards its goal. "By 2029, we aim to present a cleaner Yamuna to the people," he said, congratulating the Lieutenant Governor, Chief Minister Rekha Gupta and Parvesh Verma for their work.
He blamed earlier governments for the river's condition, alleging that for 30 years Congress and the Kejriwal government allowed sewage to flow into the Yamuna, and that around 2,000 tonnes of waste reached the river every day.
Sharp words for Rahul Gandhi and AAP
The event quickly turned political. Responding to the Congress campaign over alleged "vote chori", Shah said, "When court rulings favour you, you call them fair, but when they go against you, you question them. These double standards will not work, Rahul ji." He added, "Your protests in Delhi cannot overturn the people's mandate. Your turn won't come for the next 30 years."
Shah also targeted AAP over Punjab, alleging that the drug trade had grown under its government there. "Kejriwal ji, excuses will not work; results are needed," he said, predicting that AAP would be wiped out in the next elections and that the drug trade in Punjab would be eliminated by 2029. Opposition parties have repeatedly rejected such charges.
Why this matters for Delhi residents
For lakhs of people in outer Delhi, the most immediate change could be a sewer connection where there was none, along with fewer overflowing drains during the monsoon. The Chandrawal plant upgrade matters for drinking water too: it replaces ageing units dating back to 1935 and 1955 that serve central and north Delhi.
The Yamuna has seen many clean-up promises over the decades, and residents will judge this one by results. Verma, who said cleaning ghats alone cannot restore the river unless sewage is stopped, has urged people to dispose of household waste only at designated points, take legal sewer connections and avoid wasting water.
The 'Chalo Yamuna' build-up
The launch followed the "Chalo Yamuna" drive on October 18, when more than 35,000 volunteers cleaned 70 stretches along the river. According to the Delhi government, they removed 76,755 kg of dry waste and 9,850 kg of green waste and water hyacinth. Verma has also floated a "Birthday with Yamuna" idea, with riverside huts where people can celebrate birthdays alongside clean-up work, and says he will mark his own birthday by the river on November 7.
What happens next
Construction on the 33 newly launched projects is expected to start in phases. The real test will come in the 2027 and 2028 monsoon and pre-monsoon seasons, when water-quality readings at Okhla and downstream will show whether less untreated sewage is reaching the river. With Delhi's air quality already slipping into the poor category this month, the government will be keen to show progress on at least one long-standing environmental problem.
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