Yamuna, air pollution: How BJP govt in Delhi tackled major environmental challenges in first 100 days

In the runup to the 2025 Delhi Assembly elections earlier this year, the BJP centered much of its campaign on a green turnaround: a cleaner Yamuna in three years, no garbage mounds by 2027, and breathable air.Now, 100 days after taking office, the new government can point to several first steps a Cabinet nod for Delhi's first cloud-seeding trial to curb air pollution; tighter deadline for decentralisation and enhancement of sewage treatment plants (STPs); mandatory anti-smog guns and dust monitors at major construction sites; and 24x7 waste processing at landfill sites.

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What was promisedThe BJP’s poll manifesto called for nothing less than a revival of the Yamuna’s “former glory”. It pledged to clean up the river within three years in power, instituting a dedicated “Yamuna Kosh” fund, and to develop a riverfront similar to the one in Gujarat at Sabarmati river. The party vowed full treatment of wastewater from major drains, like Barapullah, Shahdara, and Ghazipur, before they empty into the river, along with expanding sewage treatment capacity.

What has been doneThe 2025-26 Budget has earmarked Rs 9,000 crore for water-and-sewer upgrades, including ?250 crore to replace corroded mains in trans-Yamuna zones and funds for 13,000 JJ-cluster and 2.5 lakh colony household sewer connections.