On 14th June, Delhi Chief Minister Rekha Gupta joined thousands of volunteers, Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) leaders, public representatives, NGOs, religious organisations and local residents in a large-scale Yamuna cleanliness drive across the national capital.
Dubbed the “Maa Yamuna Riverbank Cleanliness Drive”, the initiative was carried out across 28 ghats along the Yamuna. CM Rekha Gupta participated in the drive at Dashmesh Ghat in Geeta Colony. The campaign was announced by CM Gupta on 8th June through a video message, urging citizens to come together for the cleaning and restoration of the river.
Thousands join hands for Yamuna
The campaign saw participation from volunteers associated with around 500 NGOs and religious organisations. People from different parts of Delhi joined the effort and turned the drive into a public movement centred on the restoration of the river.
Speaking to the media at Dashmesh Ghat, CM Gupta said, “Volunteers from various organisations have contributed their labour here. BJP workers have also joined the drive, and the work to clean the Yamuna has been going on continuously since 6 AM. Hundreds of tonnes of waste are being removed. We must ask ourselves: by immersing household ritual offerings in the river, which deity are we really pleasing? If Yamuna remains polluted, no deity will be pleased. All of us must work together to ensure that no waste of any kind is dumped into the Yamuna. This cleanliness drive is not a one-day event but an ongoing campaign. I will continue to invite people to join it from time to time. The government will perform its duties with full diligence, and we, as citizens, must also fulfil our responsibilities.”
#WATCH | Delhi CM Rekha Gupta says, "Volunteers from various organisations have contributed their labour here. All our BJP workers have also volunteered, and the work of cleaning the Yamuna River has been underway continuously since 6 AM; hundreds of tons of waste are being… https://t.co/DyAxD8JmAU pic.twitter.com/kxhuYbNqa4
— ANI (@ANI) June 14, 2026
BJP leaders call it a mass movement
Delhi Minister Parvesh Verma, who joined the drive at Hathi Ghat, stated that the government was committed to cleaning the river. He credited Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s guidance, regular monitoring by the Union Home Minister, and cooperation from the CM for the ongoing efforts. He said, “In three years, you will witness a significant transformation in the Yamuna.”
Delhi: Minister Parvesh Verma says, "We had clear instructions that along with cleaning the entire city of Delhi, our biggest commitment is to clean Maa Yamuna, and we will deliver on that promise. Continuous review meetings are being held under the guidance of our Home Minister.… pic.twitter.com/6rrdFgiMlJ
— IANS (@ians_india) June 14, 2026
In a statement, BJP MLA Sikha Rai said that it was part of a larger service campaign and accused previous governments of neglecting the river. She added that the condition of the river had deteriorated to the point where chemical foam was visible before the present government came to power.
#WATCH | Delhi: BJP MLA Shikha Rai participates in the 'Maa Yamuna Riverbank Cleanliness Drive' organised by the Delhi government across 28 ghats. pic.twitter.com/v4rbOlwNJz
— ANI (@ANI) June 14, 2026
Delhi Legislative Assembly Speaker Vijender Gupta, who joined the drive at Purana Pul, said the initiative must become a mass movement. He said the campaign had begun with a firm resolve to ensure that the Yamuna flows continuously and regains its lost glory.
#WATCH | Delhi: Delhi Legislative Assembly Speaker Vijender Gupta says, “Thousands of people are participating in this campaign for a clean Yamuna; the initiative has begun with a firm resolve to ensure the river flows continuously and remains pristine. It is essential to… https://t.co/e2UXkRFtGU pic.twitter.com/tdsltXpcsr
— ANI (@ANI) June 14, 2026
Rajya Sabha MP Swati Maliwal accused the previous Arvind Kejriwal-led government of ignoring the river. She said, “We have been working since 6:30 AM, and the cleanliness drive is still underway. A large amount of garbage, especially plastic waste, has been removed. Such drives will now be conducted regularly. In the past year, significant work has been done for the Yamuna. Several sewage treatment plants and decentralised sewage treatment plants are being built, drains are being cleaned, and strict monitoring is taking place at every level. During Arvind Kejriwal’s 10 years in government, the Yamuna was reduced to a sewage drain. I am confident that the Delhi government is working on a war footing and will restore the river. I served as the Chairperson of the Delhi Commission for Women for eight years during that administration, and to my knowledge, Kejriwal did not hold even a single meeting on cleaning the Yamuna.”
#WATCH | Delhi: On Yamuna Cleaning Drive, Rajya Sabha MP Swati Maliwal says, “We have been at it since 6:30 am, and the cleanup drive is currently underway…we have observed that a vast amount of garbage, especially plastic, has been removed…such cleanup drives will now take… pic.twitter.com/dZUNO7DtkV
— ANI (@ANI) June 14, 2026
With simultaneous drives across Dashmesh Ghat, Hathi Ghat, Purana Pul and several other locations, the campaign marked one of Delhi’s biggest public participation efforts for cleaning the Yamuna.
