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BJP MP Challenges Rijiju as Yamuna Cleanup Hits Halfway

By Drooid · Oct 31, 2026 · How we work

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Summary

BJP MP Manoj Tiwari bathed in the Yamuna at Sonia Vihar to showcase its condition.
Officials said cleanup has cleared roughly half the river and aim to finish by May 2029.
Union Home Minister Amit Shah announced 43 Yamuna-cleaning projects costing INR8,941 crore, targeting Delhi stretch completion by May 2029.
Parliamentary Affairs Minister Kiren Rijiju challenged Tiwari, proposing a swimming contest in the river’s cleaner water.

History

The Ganga Action Plan, launched in 1986, marked India's first large-scale river-restoration effort, aiming to reduce pollution in the Ganges. The Ministry of Environment, World Bank, and Delhi Pollution Control Committee funded the plan with INR9,000 crore, reporting a 60 % water-quality rise by 1997. Today's Yamuna cleanup, championed by BJP MP Manoj Tiwari and Home Minister Amit Shah, mirrors the Ganga Action Plan’s political-driven, high-budget approach. If the 2029 target succeeds, Delhi could replicate the Ganga model, spurring nationwide river revitalization and stricter enforcement of the Water Pollution Act.

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The Ganga Action Plan, launched in 1986, marked India's first large-scale river-restoration effort, aiming to reduce pollution in the Ganges. The Ministry of Environment, World Bank, and Delhi Pollution Control Committee funded the plan with INR9,000 crore, reporting a 60 % water-quality rise by 1997. Today's Yamuna cleanup, championed by BJP MP Manoj Tiwari and Home Minister Amit Shah, mirrors the Ganga Action Plan’s political-driven, high-budget approach. If the 2029 target succeeds, Delhi could replicate the Ganga model, spurring nationwide river revitalization and stricter enforcement of the Water Pollution Act.

1 / 2