Historic Decision by Rekha Government for Cleaning the Yamuna, Drains and Ensuring Regular Water Supply
No cabinet approval required for budget allocations
The Impressive TimesNew Delhi, July 5, : In a historic decision aimed at rapidly cleaning and rejuvenating the Yamuna River, establishing treatment facilities for dirty drains, and ensuring regular potable water supply, the Rekha Gupta-led Delhi Government has empowered the Delhi Jal Board (DJB) with increased financial autonomy.
Chief Minister Rekha Gupta stated that the government has enhanced the financial powers of the DJB. The Board will now be able to independently implement high-cost projects, including Yamuna purification, drain water treatment, and improvement of regular drinking water supply. According to the Chief Minister, such projects will no longer require Cabinet approval. The financial powers of the DJB Chairperson, CEO, and other senior officials have also been significantly increased.
Chief Minister Rekha Gupta emphasized that this enhancement in the Board’s powers is aimed at making governance more efficient, responsive, and effective. She further noted that the Delhi Government is committed to the vision of “Minimum Government, Maximum Governance” as inspired by Hon’ble Prime Minister Shri Narendra Modi Ji.
Sharing details, CM Rekha Gupta explained that a Board, by its very definition, must be empowered and autonomous in order to function effectively. She stated that the previous government had stripped the DJB of all its financial powers, which brought critical works—like Yamuna cleaning, modern drainage systems, and water supply projects—to a standstill. As a result, the Yamuna remained polluted and Delhiites continued to suffer from irregular water supply. The Rekha government has now truly made the DJB a ‘Board’ again by restoring and enhancing its decision-making powers.
As per the new system, the Delhi Jal Board has now been authorized to sanction all projects with estimated cost over ₹50 crore independently. It can approve higher-budget projects internally. Also, under the revised provisions:
This will lead to better decision-making at every level of the Board and reduce unnecessary delays in execution.
The Chief Minister called this a landmark reform, reiterating her government’s clear objective—to rapidly and effectively clean the Yamuna, treat dirty and foul-smelling drain water through modern systems to prevent further pollution of the river, and significantly improve the Capital’s drinking water supply. She pointed out that for a long time, Yamuna cleaning plans remained only on paper due to the cumbersome and lengthy approval processes. That bottleneck has now been removed. “Our government is committed to delivering result-oriented governance, not entangling people in paperwork,” the CM said.
She further informed that wherever Sewage Treatment Plants (STPs) and infrastructure is needed for sewer cleaning, same will now be rapidly installed. Under the new system, the DJB will also be able to swiftly lay new pipelines, construct booster pumping stations, and establish other infrastructure for water supply. This will significantly improve drinking water distribution and provide early relief to residents.
CM Rekha Gupta concluded by stating that the entire functioning of the DJB has now been made more transparent and accountable, which will reduce the chances of corruption and ensure responsibility at every level. This decision reflects the power of political will and shows that when the intent is clear, large-scale, people-centric reforms can be implemented swiftly and effectively. She said, “Solutions will now move quickly and projects will be implemented on the ground—not just announced.”
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