Delhi Budget: ₹500 cr for Yamuna cleanup; ₹250 cr for new sewer lines

Yamuna gets ₹500 crore for its cleanup in Delhi's 2025 Budget, with ₹500 crore set aside for STP repairs and a decentralised plan involving 40 plants for treated water

The BJP government in Delhi has allocated ₹500 crore for cleaning up River Yamuna in the 2025-26 Budget, announced Chief Minister Rekha Gupta in the Assembly on Tuesday. The Delhi Budget, with an overall outlay of ₹1 trillion, also focuses on infrastructure, water, sanitation, and road improvements.

 

Additionally, ₹500 crore has been earmarked for the repair and upgradation of STPs, and ₹250 crore for replacing old sewer lines.

 

A major focus has also been placed on clean drinking water and sanitation, with Rs 9,000 crore allocated for related projects.

 

 

Yamuna crisis: A long-standing issue

 

The focus on Yamuna's cleanup follows years of political and environmental debates. Former Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal had claimed that the river was being "poisoned" in Haryana, a charge which was vehemently rejected by the Nayab Singh Saini government.  ALSO READ | DELHI BUDGET 2025 LIVE UPDATES 

A January 30 report by the Delhi Pollution Control Committee (DPCC) shows that while the Yamuna enters Delhi with relatively decent health, it rapidly becomes polluted as it flows through the city. By the time it exits at Jaitpur, the river’s water quality is alarmingly poor, with the biochemical oxygen demand (BOD) and faecal coliform levels far exceeding acceptable limits.

 

In its election manifesto also, the BJP had promised to cleanse the Yamuna through the "Yamuna Kosh" fund-- a dedicated financial initiative for river rejuvenation. After the BJP's landslide win in the Delhi Assembly election, Prime Minister Narendra Modi gave a victory speech where he pledged to clean Yamuna, chanting "Yamuna Maiya Ki Jai."

 

A history of failures and challenges

 

For decades, efforts to clean the Yamuna have faced setbacks despite significant investments. The Yamuna Action Plan, which began in 1993, has seen over ₹8,000 crore spent on cleanup efforts, but the river remains heavily polluted. Even after establishing 37 STPs, the river’s coliform levels indicate that these plants are not functioning as intended. Moreover, untreated sewage from Delhi’s unauthorised colonies continues to pour into the river. 

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Various judicial and bureaucratic interventions have attempted to address the crisis. The National Green Tribunal’s 'Maili se Nirmal Yamuna' action plan and the Nirmal Yamuna Rejuvenation Plan have both outlined ambitious goals for cleaning the river. However, the failure to address key issues like linking unauthorised colonies to the main sewer network has undermined these efforts.