NEW DELHI: Delhi Chief Minister Rekha Gupta graced the banks of the Yamuna River at Sur Ghat on Thursday to perform the Yamuna Aarti, marking the beginning of this year’s Chhath festival with grandeur, as per an official statement.
The event at Sur Ghat in Wazirabad drew a large crowd, with melodious hymns dedicated to the Yamuna goddess echoing through the air. A special ritual known as Chunri Manorath was also conducted, symbolizing devotion and environmental consciousness.
Gupta stressed the significance of public involvement in the restoration of the polluted river, revealing that her government has allocated Rs 1,000 crore in the 2025-26 budget for the Yamuna’s rejuvenation. She underscored the necessity of establishing sewage treatment plants, eliminating waste materials, and preventing drainages from flowing into the river.
माँ यमुना जन्मोत्सव के पावन अवसर पर यमुना महाआरती व चुनरी मनोरथ कार्यक्रम में सम्मिलित होने का सौभाग्य मिला।
— Rekha Gupta (@gupta_rekha) April 3, 2025
दिल्ली सरकार माँ यमुना के पुनरुद्धार के लिए निरंतर समर्पित है। माँ यमुना को श्रद्धासुमन अर्पित कर समस्त जनता की सुख-समृद्धि की कामना की।#MaaYamuna #ViksitDelhi pic.twitter.com/TtVRC8W9L0
In her address to the audience, Gupta reiterated her dedication to purifying the Yamuna, which has suffered greatly from pollution over the years. She criticized the previous AAP government for failing to deliver on their promises to clean the river.
Gupta outlined the BJP-led government’s strategy for reviving the Yamuna, which includes the implementation of decentralized sewage treatment plants, the utilization of modern equipment such as trash skimmers and weed harvesters, and stringent regulations on industrial waste disposal. She emphasized the importance of awareness campaigns to encourage public participation in river conservation, emphasizing that cleaning the Yamuna is not solely the government’s responsibility but a collective societal obligation.
