Toxic foam was seen floating on the surface of the Yamuna River at Kalindi Kunj in Delhi on Friday morning, even as the Delhi government has highlighted its ongoing efforts to rejuvenate and clean the river through projects worth around Rs 9,000 crore, ANI reported.

Source: ANI via Latestly — Yamuna's Kalindi Kunj stretch covered in toxic foam (Oct 23, 2026, 11:06 IST)

The sighting comes a day after Delhi Chief Minister Rekha Gupta described the inauguration of projects worth approximately Rs 9,000 crore as a 'joyful day' for residents, asserting that her government had made consistent progress towards the rejuvenation of the Yamuna over the past one and a half years. 'In just a few years, the Yamuna should be clean, flowing uninterrupted; we should be able to give this gift to the residents of Delhi; we stand by our resolve, and we are working day and night to fulfil it,' Gupta said, ANI reported via Devdiscourse.

Rs 8,941 crValue of 43 DJB Yamuna projects launched Oct 22 — yaani about Rs 89.4 billion
43Delhi Jal Board projects inaugurated / foundation stones laid
Rs 9,000–10,000 crEarlier Yamuna-linked projects the CM said were initiated last year

Shah called the projects the 'backbone' of the cleanup

Union Home Minister Amit Shah, who inaugurated and laid the foundation stones for the 43 Delhi Jal Board (DJB) projects, described them as the backbone of the river's rejuvenation and said they cover wastewater treatment and drinking-water infrastructure, ANI reported via DailyPrabhat. Shah said Prime Minister Narendra Modi had convened a meeting with the Delhi government and the Home Ministry within the first month of the government's formation to outline a vision for cleaning the river, and claimed more than 40 per cent of the journey towards the goal had been covered in a short period, crediting Gupta and Delhi Water Minister Parvesh Verma.

Gupta said the latest investment followed projects worth another Rs 9,000 crore to Rs 10,000 crore initiated last year, directed towards improving Delhi's infrastructure with a primary focus on the Yamuna's rejuvenation, ANI reported.

Awaaz Punjab reported the launch of the 43 projects on Thursday. Read: Shah launches Rs 8,941-crore Yamuna projects

Opposition alleges defoamer was installed before the tender

Ahead of Chhath Puja, the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) alleged corruption in the Delhi Jal Board over chemicals used to suppress froth on the Yamuna. AAP Delhi president Saurabh Bharadwaj said a contractor's set-up marked 'Defoamer Stock' had been installed at Kalindi Kunj Ghat with equipment and labourers present for two to three days, and claimed a DJB engineer had instructed the installation even though, he said, 'the DJB has not even opened the tender yet' — an allegation of large-scale corruption reported by The Hindu on October 22. The ANI reports on Friday's foam sighting carried no response from the DJB to that allegation.