Delhi CM Rekha Gupta meets L-G Sandhu, flags development and festive security
Synopsis
Delhi CM Rekha Gupta's Monday was packed: a Lok Niwas sit-down with L-G T.S. Sandhu on festive-season security, the inauguration of a ₹16 crore biogas plant at Goyla Dairy, and the backdrop of a 35,000-strong Yamuna clean-up. The week's centrepiece, however, is 22 October — when Amit Shah arrives to flag off ₹8,941 crore in Delhi Jal Board projects that could reshape water and sewage access for crores of residents.
Key Takeaways
Delhi CM Rekha Gupta met L-G T.S.
Sandhu at Lok Niwas on 19 October to discuss development priorities and festive-season security.
A Yamuna bank clean-up on Sunday drew 35,000 volunteers who removed 76,755 kg of municipal solid waste.
Union Home Minister Amit Shah will inaugurate and lay foundation stones for 43 Delhi Jal Board projects worth ₹8,941.22 crore on 22 October .
Projects will benefit an estimated 78.5 lakh people through upgraded sewage treatment and 22 lakh people through a new water treatment plant at Chandrawal .
A ₹16 crore biogas plant at Goyla Dairy — capable of processing 200 metric tonnes of cattle dung daily — was inaugurated; 3 plants are now operational with 6 more planned .
Delhi Chief Minister Rekha Gupta on Monday, 19 October 2025, called on Lieutenant Governor T.S. Sandhu at Lok Niwas to discuss the city's development priorities and security arrangements ahead of the festive season. The meeting signals a coordinated push between the Delhi government and the L-G's office on civic services and public safety.
What the Meeting Covered
According to an official statement, 'Discussions focused on Delhi's development priorities and ensuring seamless civic arrangements, public safety and essential services across the capital during the festive season.' The consultations come at a time when the national capital typically sees heightened crowd movement and demand on civic infrastructure.
Yamuna Cleanup Drive: 35,000 Volunteers, 76,755 kg Waste Removed
The L-G meeting followed a large-scale Yamuna bank clean-up campaign on Sunday, which mobilised 35,000 participants — comprising 20,000 citizens, families and Resident Welfare Association (RWA) members, 10,500 karyakartas, 2,500 students and 2,000 NGO volunteers. Students from over 25 Delhi University colleges participated, with more than 400 from Deshbandhu College alone. Together, they removed 76,755 kg of municipal solid waste (MSW). The operation deployed 26 JCBs, 19 tractor-trolleys, 24 boats, 7 weed harvesters, trash skimmers and 269 PWD maintenance vans, according to officials.
Amit Shah to Inaugurate ₹8,941 Crore Delhi Jal Board Projects on 22 October
Union Home Minister Amit Shah is scheduled on 22 October to inaugurate and lay the foundation stones of 43 Delhi Jal Board (DJB) projects valued at a combined ₹8,941.22 crore. Of these, 10 projects worth ₹2,827.11 crore will be formally inaugurated, while 33 projects worth ₹6,114.11 crore will have their foundation stones laid.
Key works include: a new 124 MGD Sewage Treatment Plant (STP) at Okhla (₹1,161 crore); upgrades to 8 STPs (₹1,041 crore) raising combined capacity from 78.2 to 140.8 MGD and benefiting an estimated 78.5 lakh people; and 29 new Decentralised STPs and sewage pumping stations in outer Delhi (₹3,113.67 crore), covering 358 unauthorised colonies and 113 villages with 36.29 lakh residents. Additional components include 1,034 km of sewer network (₹1,691 crore) for 25.82 lakh people, a 477 MLD water treatment plant at Chandrawal (₹298.3 crore) replacing infrastructure dating to 1935 and 1955 and serving 22 lakh people, and a 4.5 km Mundka trunk drain (₹225.02 crore).
₹16 Crore Biogas Plant Inaugurated at Goyla Dairy
Earlier on Monday, Chief Minister Gupta inaugurated a ₹16 crore biogas plant at Goyla Dairy, capable of processing 200 metric tonnes of cattle dung daily into clean fuel and organic manure. In a post on X, Gupta wrote: 'For years, Delhi had not a single biogas plant. Today, 3 are commissioned in just 18 months, with 6 more planned! Every step brings us closer to a cleaner Maa Yamuna and a greener Delhi.' The Chief Minister's Office noted on X that the initiative advances Prime Minister Narendra Modi's 'Waste to Wealth' vision by reducing pollution, strengthening waste management and benefiting farmers. With three biogas plants commissioned in 18 months and six more in the pipeline, the Delhi government is positioning the programme as a long-term environmental intervention.
What Comes Next
The 22 October DJB inauguration by Home Minister Shah will be a key political moment, connecting central leadership to Delhi's infrastructure agenda ahead of likely electoral scrutiny. The Yamuna revival efforts — spanning clean-up drives, STPs and biogas plants — will face the test of measurable water quality improvement in the coming months.
Point of View
A mass Yamuna clean-up and a biogas inauguration, all in 48 hours — reads as deliberate image management ahead of the politically loaded 22 October event featuring Amit Shah. The ₹8,941 crore DJB package is substantive in scale, but Delhi's Yamuna clean-up story is long on announcements and short on measurable water quality milestones; 76,755 kg of surface waste removed is a visible headline, not a river restored. The replacement of 1935- and 1955-era infrastructure at Chandrawal is genuinely overdue, but credibility will hinge on delivery timelines and independent monitoring — neither of which has been detailed yet.
NationPress
19 Oct 2026
Frequently Asked Questions
Why did Delhi CM Rekha Gupta meet L-G T.S. Sandhu on 19 October?
Chief Minister Rekha Gupta called on Lieutenant Governor T.S. Sandhu at Lok Niwas to discuss Delhi's development priorities and security arrangements for the festive season. The meeting was aimed at ensuring seamless civic services and public safety across the capital.
What are the ₹8,941 crore Delhi Jal Board projects Amit Shah will inaugurate?
Union Home Minister Amit Shah is scheduled to inaugurate and lay foundation stones for 43 Delhi Jal Board projects on 22 October 2025, totalling ₹8,941.22 crore. They include a new 124 MGD STP at Okhla, upgrades to 8 existing STPs, a 477 MLD water treatment plant at Chandrawal, 1,034 km of sewer network, and sewage infrastructure for 358 unauthorised colonies and 113 villages.
How many people participated in the Yamuna clean-up drive?
The Yamuna bank clean-up campaign held on Sunday drew 35,000 participants, including 20,000 citizens and RWA members, 10,500 karyakartas, 2,500 students and 2,000 NGO volunteers. Together they removed 76,755 kg of municipal solid waste using 26 JCBs, 24 boats and 269 PWD maintenance vans, among other equipment.
What is the Goyla Dairy biogas plant inaugurated by Delhi CM?
The ₹16 crore biogas plant at Goyla Dairy, inaugurated by Chief Minister Rekha Gupta on 19 October, can process 200 metric tonnes of cattle dung daily into clean fuel and organic manure. It is the third such plant commissioned by the Delhi government in 18 months, with six more planned.
Who will benefit from the new Delhi Jal Board water and sewage projects?
The projects are projected to benefit crores of Delhi residents: upgraded STPs will serve 78.5 lakh people, the new Chandrawal water treatment plant will serve 22 lakh people, and decentralised sewage infrastructure will cover 36.29 lakh residents in 358 unauthorised colonies and 113 villages in outer Delhi.
