Delhi’s Public Works Department (PWD) and Water Minister Parvesh Verma on Saturday said that the ongoing integrated efforts by the Delhi government towards cleaning the Yamuna river have started showing strong and measurable results.
Addressing a press conference here, Verma claimed that within seven months, faecal coliform (human waste contamination) levels in the river have dropped drastically, marking one of the fastest pollution reductions in the river’s recent history.
“While the previous government spent 10 years making announcements, we have delivered visible outcomes within seven months,” Verma said.
He further said that four out of eight sampling points of the river here have now reached the permissible limit.
Notably, the faecal coliform is a type of bacteria that originates from human or animal waste, and is a key indicator of untreated sewage entering a water body — the higher its level, the more polluted and unsafe the water becomes.
The minister said that the present government has taken decisive, science-based measures to stop the flow of untreated sewage into the Ymauna and ensure that only treated, compliant water reaches the river.
Verma explained that previously, the Delhi Jal Board could treat only about 400 MGD (million gallons per day) of sewage, while the rest was flowing untreated into the Yamuna.
The minister further said that the new government has initiated a fast-track programme to bridge the 400 MGD gap by upgrading and expanding both existing and new Sewage Treatment Plants (STPs) in the city, intercepting major drains that discharge untreated sewage into the river, and implementing strict real-time monitoring and quality compliance for every STP to ensure tht untreated water rarely enters the drainage system.
Additionally, the government has removed 20 lakh metric tonnes of silt from key drains, improving flow and preventing pollutant build-up, he added.
Verma also shared the faecal coliform figures from the latest report by the Delhi Pollution Control Committee (DPCC), which he said show a 90 per cent reduction in levels in the Yamuna compared to 2024, calling it a dramatic improvement across most sampling points.
He added that four of the eight sampling points of the river are now within, or very close to, the permissible limit of 2,500 MPN/100 ml.
Responding to AAP leader Saurabh Bharadwaj’s remarks, Verma said, “Mr. Bharadwaj selectively showed the 9th October DPCC report, but did not mention that during his tenure, locations like Asgarpur had faecal coliform levels as high as 80 lakh. Today, that same location has dropped to just 8,000 — a clear reflection of our government’s work.”
The minister also emphasised that DPCC’s monitoring process is now completely transparent, adding that, earlier, such reports were not uploaded publicly, but at present every test result is available online for the citizens to see.
“This is not a campaign for optics — it’s a mission for outcomes,” Verma said, adding, “Every Minister, MP, MLA, and Councillor is personally inspecting ghats and drains to ensure on-ground impact.”