BJP MP Manoj Tiwari has said that nearly half of the 58-km Yamuna stretch in Delhi has been cleaned ahead of the Chhath festival. He said the government’s priority was to ensure that people in the capital
have access to a cleaner river and natural water bodies during the festival.
Tiwari made the remarks during a visit to the Yamuna, where he pointed towards birds seen around the river and said their presence showed signs of improvement in the area. He credited Prime Minister Narendra Modi, Delhi Chief Minister Rekha Gupta and Delhi minister Parvesh Verma for the work being carried out to clean the river.
“I am not claiming that we have cleaned Yamuna-ji 58 kilometres from Delhi. But we have cleaned Yamuna-ji more than half, i.e. almost 30 km,” Tiwari said.
The BJP leader also spoke about the importance of Chhath Puja and its connection with water conservation. He said devotees should be encouraged to celebrate the festival near natural water sources such as rivers and lakes instead of relying only on temporary arrangements made in parks.
Tiwari said the festival should also encourage people to protect and conserve water. He suggested that permanent ghats and ponds should be developed instead of temporary pits that are dug for the festival and filled up soon afterwards.
Live Reality Test – 27 सालों में कांग्रेस और आप जो नहीं कर पाई वहीं मात्र दो साल के अंदर आधा से ज्यादा दिल्ली में यमुना जी को दिल्ली की भाजपा सरकार ने साफ कर दिया, और जो बचा है वो भी जल्दी ही साफ़ हो जाएगा!
भाजपा सांसद @ManojTiwariMP जी ने तो डुबकी लगाकर 30 KM तक दिल्ली की साफ़ यमुना लाइव दिखा दिया, केजरीवाल जी आप कब आ रहे हो डुबकी लगाने?
— BJP Delhi (@BJP4Delhi) October 29, 2026
According to Tiwari, water quality has been monitored at different points along the Yamuna. He also hit back at criticism of the cleaning work, saying the efforts should not be judged only through political statements or social media posts.
He said further work was planned to improve the river, including dredging. Tiwari noted that the water level differs at different points and said dredging would help improve navigation through the river.
“We are going to work on that too. Now we are going to do dredging. Because our navigators know the route from where to go,” he said.
Tiwari also referred to criticism from former Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal and the Aam Aadmi Party. However, he said his visit to the Yamuna was not aimed at targeting his political opponents.
“I am not someone who is doing this to embarrass Arvind Kejriwal. No. We aim to give a clean Yamuna to the people of Delhi,” he said.
The BJP MP also stressed the need to protect the river’s biodiversity. He pointed to birds and other wildlife around the Yamuna and said research and conservation work was also being carried out in the area.
With Chhath approaching, Tiwari urged Delhi residents to use natural water bodies responsibly and support measures aimed at water conservation and keeping the river clean.
Saurabh Bharadwaj Challenges Tiwari Over Yamuna Claim
AAP leader Saurabh Bharadwaj hit back at Manoj Tiwari’s claim, saying the BJP leader was ignoring the fact that parts of the Yamuna have historically been cleaner.
“These BJP frauds know nothing about Delhi,” Bharadwaj said in a post on X. He claimed that the 26-km stretch of the Yamuna from Palla to Wazirabad has “always been comparatively clean” and was even cleaner during the previous AAP government, citing DPCC reports.
Bharadwaj said the situation changes after the Najafgarh drain joins the Yamuna near the Signature Bridge. He claimed the drain carries around 862 MGD of water and is responsible for adding pollution to the river after its first 26 km in Delhi.
He also alleged that, around Chhath last year, the Haryana government was asked by the Centre to release additional water into the Yamuna from the Hathnikund barrage. According to Bharadwaj, the additional water diluted the pollution load in the river.
“Stupid BJP leaders does not know the basics of Delhi,” he said, accusing BJP leaders of using the cleaner stretch of the river to “fool the people of Delhi”.
Bharadwaj also referred to last year’s controversy over what he called a “Nakli Yamuna” and alleged that public money had been spent on the project.
He then directly challenged Tiwari and Delhi Water Minister Parvesh Verma over the river’s water quality.
“I invite Manoj Tiwali and Water Minister Parvesh Verma to drink water at Kalindi Kunj Ghat,” Bharadwaj said. “Last year also they ran away from the challenge. This year too, they will run away.”
