Manoj Tiwari takes Yamuna dip before Chhath puja
Bharatiya Janata Party leader Manoj Tiwari swam in the Yamuna River near Sonia Vihar on Thursday. He sought to prove the water quality improved significantly ahead of the upcoming Chhath Puja festival. The NorthEast Delhi Member of Parliament also drank water directly from the river.
Tiwari claimed overall river pollution dropped by half over the past eighteen months. He credited ongoing government initiatives and focused administrative efforts for the visible ecological improvements. He extended a warm invitation to devotees across the national capital region. He encouraged worshippers to gather at traditional riverbank locations for their sacred festival rituals.
The high-profile event drew strong political commentary from rival parties. Opposition leaders immediately questioned the public demonstration. They cited remaining ecological challenges and persistent pollution concerns along various stretches of the waterway. Opponents labeled the public swim a publicity stunt. They asserted that untreated industrial waste and sewage still flow into key municipal drainage routes.
Preparations for Chhath Puja continue at full speed throughout New Delhi. Government agencies inspect several temporary and permanent worship sites along the riverfront. Municipal workers clean public places and install proper lighting for visiting worshippers. Authorities expect massive crowds along the riverbanks during the major four-day festival.
Tiwari urged opposition politicians to inspect the cleaned stretch themselves. He expressed strong confidence in complete river restoration plans over the coming years. Officials aim to finish major drainage treatments and ecological cleanup projects by 2029. Worshippers prepare to offer traditional evening and morning prayers at designated river sites soon.
