Delhi Chief Minister Rekha Gupta on Thursday launched the “Main Bhi Yamuna Prahari” mobile application to encourage citizens to participate in the cleanliness and conservation of the Yamuna. The app was launched at Delhi University’s Sports Complex under the government’s Seva Sankalp Campaign, with registrations opening on the same day. Gupta urged students, teachers and social organisations to enrol, saying public participation was necessary to make the river-cleaning effort a wider civic campaign.

Gupta said thousands of students from 30 Delhi University colleges would take a pledge for the cleanliness and conservation of the Yamuna on October 18. She called for students to take the campaign's message beyond their campuses and into their families and communities. “Cleaning the Yamuna is not only the government’s responsibility. The active participation of every citizen, particularly the youth, is essential to turn this campaign into a people’s movement,” she said.

The chief minister also said government interventions alone would not be enough to address pollution in the Yamuna and called for changes in everyday practices. She specifically cited the immersion of puja material, flowers, garlands, damaged idols and other items in the river as contributing to the pollution burden. Gupta urged young people to use technology, innovation and public participation to support efforts aimed at improving the condition of the river.

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Union minister of state Harsh Malhotra said more than ₹3,000 crore had been allocated for cleaning the Yamuna. He said projects were being undertaken to prevent drains from discharging untreated waste into the river and to improve sewage treatment. According to the details shared at the launch, the tender process for setting up sewage treatment plants at the outfalls of 22 major drains flowing into the Yamuna had been completed, while construction had begun at 12 locations.

The app-based initiative forms part of the Delhi government's broader Seva Sankalp Campaign, which has included projects and programmes focused on public participation and Yamuna rejuvenation. The government had earlier outlined plans for projects worth ₹8,000 crore aimed at Yamuna cleaning and rejuvenation under the campaign. The “Main Bhi Yamuna Prahari” initiative adds a citizen-registration component to the cleanliness effort, with students and other groups being encouraged to participate through the mobile platform.

The launch comes as the Delhi government seeks greater public involvement in efforts to clean the Yamuna and address pollution linked to sewage and waste entering the river. Gupta has emphasised that maintaining the river requires changes not only in government infrastructure but also in public behaviour. With registrations for the new app beginning Thursday and students from 30 Delhi University colleges expected to participate in the October 18 pledge, the government is seeking to expand the cleanliness campaign through wider community involvement.

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