NEW DELHI: BJP MP Manoj Tiwari took a dip in the Yamuna at Sonia Vihar ghat on Thursday, claiming that the river had become cleaner under the Rekha Gupta government. His remarks triggered a fresh political confrontation between the BJP and the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP), even as water quality readings indicate that significant pollution remains in several stretches.
Tiwari, who represents North East Delhi in the Lok Sabha, claimed that pollution levels had fallen by half over the past year due to the government’s cleaning efforts. He also said devotees could once again celebrate Chhath Puja in the river.
Pointing to the presence of migratory birds, Tiwari argued that their arrival indicated an improvement in water quality. He claimed to have performed *aachman*, a ritual involving sipping water, at Sonia Vihar and said crocodiles could be present in the river, arguing that they inhabit clean water.
The BJP MP accused previous AAP governments of failing to clean the Yamuna and said the BJP had achieved substantial progress in a relatively short period. He claimed that half the river had been cleaned in around one-and-a-half years and that the remaining work would be completed over the next three years.
The Delhi BJP also claimed that its government’s achievements in two years surpassed what the Congress and AAP had accomplished over 27 years. The party challenged former Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal to take a dip in the river.
AAP Delhi president and former minister Saurabh Bharadwaj rejected the BJP’s claims, arguing that the stretch between Palla and Wazirabad had historically been comparatively clean. He said water quality had also been better during the AAP government, citing Delhi Pollution Control Committee (DPCC) reports.
Bharadwaj challenged Tiwari and Delhi Water Minister Parvesh Verma to drink water at Kalindi Kunj ghat, near the Okhla barrage, where pollution levels are a major concern.
Water quality readings highlight the difference between stretches of the river. At Palla, where the Yamuna enters Delhi, the biochemical oxygen demand (BOD) level stands at 2 milligrams per litre, within the prescribed bathing-water limit of 3 mg/l. However, the reading rises to 30 mg/l at the ISBT Bridge and 18 mg/l at ITO.
Although the ITO BOD level declined from 70 mg/l in July 2025 to 18 mg/l in September 2026, it remains six times the prescribed limit.
Faecal contamination is another concern. The faecal coliform count at the ISBT Bridge stands at 35,000 most probable number (MPN) per 100 millilitres, compared with the desirable bathing-water limit of 2,500 MPN per 100 millilitres.
The political exchange comes as governments continue efforts to clean the river, which flows for around 52 km through Delhi. Union Home Minister Amit Shah recently launched 43 projects worth ₹8,941 crore aimed at improving the Yamuna’s condition and pledged to clean the Delhi stretch by May 2029.
Verma has acknowledged that complete cleaning would take another two-and-a-half to three years. He said the stretch between Palla and Wazirabad had been cleaned, while work was continuing between Wazirabad and Kalindi Kunj.
While some monitoring readings show improvement, the available figures indicate that several stretches of the Yamuna remain heavily polluted. A dip at one location alone cannot establish that the river is safe for bathing or drinking.
