Union Home Minister Amit Shah attended the inauguration and foundation-stone laying ceremony of Yamuna rejuvenation projects worth ₹8,941 crore in Delhi. The event included the inauguration of 10 projects and initiation of 33 new projects aimed at purifying the Yamuna river. Lieutenant Governor Taranjit Singh Sandhu and Chief Minister Rekha Gupta were present at the ceremony.
Shah stated that since the formation of their government in Delhi, Prime Minister Narendra Modi presented a plan to make the Yamuna pollution-free, with 40% of the work already completed. He criticized previous governments for allowing Delhi's sewage water to be discharged into the Yamuna and dumping 2,000 tonnes of cow dung from dairies into the river daily. The current governments at the Centre and in Delhi, Haryana, and Uttar Pradesh have jointly prepared a time-bound roadmap to make the Yamuna clean by 2029.
The projects include upgradation of existing Sewage Treatment Plants (STPs), installation of new STPs, decentralized STP pumping stations, connecting sewer lines to households, sewer rehabilitation, tapping, and drainage work. Shah expressed confidence that the Yamuna will be purified before May 2029.
Regarding waste management achievements, Shah stated that the Delhi government has cleared 2.17 crore metric tonnes of garbage and freed 100 acres of land from waste. The garbage mountains at Okhla and Bhalswa have been reduced by 30-40 meters, while the Ghazipur garbage mountain has been reduced by 10-15 meters. The government has prepared a three-year action plan to provide sewerage connections to every household in Delhi.
Shah also made extensive political comments, criticizing opposition parties for making excuses about EVMs and vote theft. He claimed that due to the negative politics of opposition parties, their governments will not be formed for the next 30 years. He accused opposition parties of double standards regarding election commissions and courts, praising them when rulings are favorable and criticizing them when unfavorable.