Delhi Environment Minister Manjinder Singh Sirsa on Wednesday accused the previous Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) Government of dumping septage into river Yamuna illegally despite National Green Tribunal (NGT)s intervention, regulation and 18 crore environmental compensation given to them. His statement follows Delhi Pollution Control Committee (DPCC)s report submitted to the National Green Tribunal (NGT), which revealed that untreated waste from unauthorised colonies to flow directly into water bodies — despite the imposition of an environmental compensation of `18.54 crore on the Delhi Jal Board (DJB). Manjinder Singh Sirsa said, It is shocking and unacceptable that despite  NGT intervention, regulations, and a `18 crore environmental compensation, the illegal dumping of septage into the Yamuna is taking place, Additionally, he has issued corrective measures against the continued dumping of untreated septage (septic tank effluent) into Delhis drainage system, ultimately polluting the Yamuna River.  I have already discussed the matter with Pravesh Sahib Singh who has informed me that he is already aware of this issue which is mainly caused by inaction and apathy of previous governments and he is taking concrete steps to resolve it. Said Sirsa. The root of this crisis lies in the complete apathy of the previous government. The former Chief Minister, who directly oversaw the DJB, failed to act and allowed this pollution to get out of control. Despite repeated follow-ups by the NGT, the previous Government did nothing about the cleaning of the Yamuna. Their silence and inaction show how little they cared about the health of Delhis environment or its people. Former CM Arvind Kejriwal had said that one doesnt get votes with the cleaning of the Yamuna. This amply displays the priority he had for a clean Yamuna. He added. Earlier, NGT had constituted a Joint Committee, chaired by a former Delhi High Court judge and comprising members from the Central Pollution Control Board (CPCB), DPCC, and DJB. The committees recommendations — focused on strengthening the enforcement of the Delhi Water Board Septage Management Regulations, were accepted by the Tribunal. One of the key challenges identified by the Joint Committee was the lack of enforcement powers granted to agencies such as the Delhi Police and Traffic Police under the original 2018 regulations. To address this, the Urban Development Department of the Government of NCT of Delhi notified the Delhi Water Board Septage Management (Amendment) Regulations, 2024. These amendments empowered multiple departments — including DJB, I&FCD, Delhi Police, and MCD — to impose penalties for violations. However, despite the broadened enforcement scope and the strengthened regulatory framework, the previous government displayed apathy, and the issue could not be addressed effectively. Consequently, the problem of untreated waste discharge remains unresolved. As per the data, the Septage collected and treated in the month of April, 2025 is 2.42 Crore Litres. Sirsa instructed for a full-scale investigation into the scope of illegal septage dumping to be completed within 7 days. In addition, the DPCC has been tasked with formulating a comprehensive plan within 10 days to eliminate all instances of illegal sewage and septage discharge into drains.

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