“Maintaining the cleanliness of the Yamuna is not solely the responsibility of the government but the duty of every citizen,” Chief Minister Rekha Gupta said on Sunday as she joined a mega cleanliness drive along the riverbank, with thousands of volunteers participating across 28 locations in Delhi.

The Delhi government organised a simultaneous clean-up campaign at 28 ghats and riverfront sites as part of the Yamuna Riverbank Cleanliness Campaign 2026. Gupta participated in the drive at Geeta Colony Ghat, where she joined volunteers and residents in removing waste from the riverbank.

Describing the Yamuna as a source of faith, culture and life for crores of people, Gupta appealed to residents not to throw plastic waste, religious offerings, flowers, garlands, idols or other materials into the river. She added that a significant quantity of broken idols, garments used for deities and worship material wrapped in plastic were removed during the drive, highlighting the need for behavioural change among citizens.

According to the government, thousands of volunteers from more than 500 social, religious and community organisations participated in the campaign across nearly 22 kilometres of the riverfront. The drive, which began at 6 am, went on for four hours.

Delhi ministers Parvesh Sahib Singh, Pankaj Singh, Ravinder Indraj, and Delhi Assembly Speaker Vijender Gupta also participated in the campaign at different ghats. BJP MPs Ramvir Singh Bidhuri, Manoj Tiwari and Swati Maliwal, and Delhi BJP president Harsh Malhotra also took part, along with other party leaders and workers.

Addressing volunteers at Hathi Ghat near ITO, Water Minister Parvesh said the scale of participation reflected growing public awareness about the river’s condition. “The overwhelming participation of thousands of Delhiites in today’s drive across 28 ghats was truly inspiring. At Hathi Ghat, ITO, I witnessed people from all walks of life — children, youth, women, senior citizens, volunteers and social organisations — coming together with a shared sense of responsibility towards our Yamuna,” he said.

“Yamuna is not just a river; it is an integral part of Delhi’s cultural, spiritual and historical identity. Ensuring a clean and rejuvenated Yamuna for future generations is a collective responsibility that goes beyond governments and institutions,” he added.

The CM said similar drives would continue in the Capital, adding that sustained public participation could help restore the river.

Speaking about ongoing Yamuna rejuvenation projects, Gupta said works worth over Rs 1,000 crore had been approved. Among those are 12 decentralised sewage treatment plants in Najafgarh, being developed under the AMRUT scheme at a cost of Rs 860 crore to prevent untreated sewage from entering Najafgarh drain and the Yamuna, she said. The government is also undertaking the upgradation of the Keshopur sewage treatment plant and other water conservation initiatives.

The campaign covered locations including Geeta Colony Ghat, Nizamuddin Ghat, Kalindi Kunj, ITO Ghat, Nigam Bodh Ghat, Kudesia Ghat, Sarai Kale Khan, Yamuna Bank and sites near the Signature Bridge.

During the programme, participants took a pledge not to dump waste, religious offerings, plastics or other materials into the river and to spread awareness about keeping the Yamuna clean.