Delhi Chief Minister Rekha Gupta on Wednesday, 15 July 2026, announced the signing of a landmark Memorandum of Understanding between the Municipal Corporation of Delhi (MCD) and the National Dairy Development Board (NDDB) to establish Compressed Bio Gas (CBG) projects in the capital, with Union Home Minister Amit Shah presiding over the ceremony.

Context

Posting on X, CM Gupta said that under previous governments, approximately 1,500 metric tonnes of cattle dung entered the Yamuna every day — a figure her administration has now set a target of bringing to zero. In her words, 'यह ऐतिहासिक पहल उसी दिशा में एक महत्वपूर्ण कदम है' ('this historic initiative is an important step in that direction'). The MoU is framed as a direct intervention in the long-standing problem of organic waste contaminating the river.

The Chief Minister credited the initiative to the broader vision of Prime Minister Narendra Modi, stating the government is 'fully committed to making Mother Yamuna aviral (free-flowing) and nirmal (clean).' The event was also attended by Union Minister for Animal Husbandry, Dairying and Fisheries Rajiv Ranjan Singh, Lieutenant Governor of Delhi Taranjit Singh Sandhu, and MCD Mayor Pravesh Wahi.

Policy Backdrop

The MoU builds on the Centre's GobarDhan scheme, launched in 2018 under the Swachh Bharat Mission, which incentivises the conversion of cattle dung and organic waste into biogas and bio-manure. The Yamuna Action Plan, running in successive phases since 1993, has long sought to reduce the river's pollution load through coordinated central and state interventions, with limited success in curbing organic waste inflows from urban livestock.

The involvement of NDDB — the apex body overseeing India's dairy sector — signals an attempt to channel institutional dairy-sector expertise into urban waste management. By converting dung from gaushalas (cow shelters) and livestock owners into CBG and organic fertiliser, the project aims to create a circular economy loop that simultaneously addresses energy, agriculture, and river-pollution goals.

Stakeholders and Impact

Gaushalas and individual cattle owners in Delhi stand to gain an additional income stream through the sale of dung feedstock to CBG plants, according to CM Gupta's post. The compressed biogas produced can substitute for fossil fuels in transport and industry, while the residual slurry becomes organic manure for farmers.

MCD, which manages the city's civic infrastructure, will be the primary implementing agency on the ground, coordinating with NDDB on plant commissioning and feedstock logistics. The presence of the Lieutenant Governor and multiple Union ministers at the signing underlines the multi-agency nature of the project and the political weight being placed behind it.

What's Next

The immediate focus will be on commissioning timelines for the CBG plants and establishing measurable benchmarks for reducing dung inflow into the Yamuna. Analysts tracking river-rejuvenation policy will watch whether the zero-dung-inflow target translates into enforceable operational milestones or remains an aspirational goal.

Should the Delhi model demonstrate results, similar MoUs between municipal bodies and NDDB could be replicated in other riverine cities facing comparable livestock-waste challenges — extending the initiative's environmental and economic footprint well beyond the National Capital Region.