India TV Conclave: Delhi CM Rekha Gupta targets Congress & AAP

DelRekha Guptahi Chief Minister  attributed the capital’s air and water pollution problems to what she described as failures of previous Congress and AAP governments, speaking at the India TV Conclave 2026 themed ‘Pollution Ka Solution’.

Responding to questions at the event, Gupta said, "Congress sarkar ki naakaami, aur Aam Aadmi Party ki laparwahi, donon iske liye zimewaar hain", holding both administrations responsible for the current situation.

She said that sewage treatment infrastructure had not functioned as required during the AAP’s tenure, adding, "not a single STP out of the 35 STPs set up during AAP rule was working as per DPCC (Delhi Pollution Control Committee) standards. Twentytwo big and small drains were falling into Yamuna river, we have started upgrading all these STPS and 37 new decentralized STPs are in the pipeline."

Gupta reiterated that cleaning the Yamuna was part of her government’s election commitments, stating, "Cleaning of Yamuna was part of our election promise and we are committed to fulfill this".

Detailing actions taken over the past 10 months, she said that 22 lakh metric tonnes of silt had been removed from drains, resulting in no waterlogging this year at locations such as Minto Bridge and Sunehri Pul. "From one single drain in Sunehri Pul, 15,000 MT silt was taken out," she added.

The chief minister said Delhi’s drainage system required a complete overhaul, noting that the existing plan was nearly five decades old. "Choked drains causes waterlogging, which leads to traffic jams and this causes air pollution", she said.

On waste management and electric mobility, Gupta said, "In Holambi Kalan, a new plant is being set up where all the e-wastes from Delhi will be collected. Nearly 9,000 EV charging stations will be developed and EVs will be encouraged. Recently, our govt released Rs 45 crore EV subsidy that was promised by the previous government".

She also criticised former chief minister Arvind Kejriwal, saying, "He (Kejriwal) never held a single portfolio, nor was his government serious about tackling pollution. Pollution is a year-long issue and it cannot be confined to a few days only. We are tackling it in a holistic manner. Roads are being cleaned by using MRS machines through mechanical sweeping, collecting dust and cleaning the verge".

(afaqs! got this information in a press release)