Reacting to viral videos showing pollution in the Yamuna river, Delhi Chief Minister Rekha Gupta on Saturday said the government is taking all necessary steps to reduce pollution and keep the river clean. Gupta was speaking at the 23rd edition of the Hindustan Times Leadership Summit (HTLS). She added that people will always have something to say – “kuch toh log kahenge” – but noted that the administration is actively addressing both Yamuna pollution and the city’s poor air quality. Gupta assured residents that efforts to curb pollution in the national capital are ongoing and being carried out in a continuous, mission-mode approach. Watch the video here: Earlier in the day, in a post on X, the Delhi Chief Minister stated that hundreds of sprinklers are being used to wash the city’s ring road. She explained that this road cleaning takes place at regular intervals, thus playing a crucial role in reducing dust and pollution. The Yamuna covers about 40 km through Delhi, enters the city at Palla on the Haryana border and flows into Uttar Pradesh at Asgarpur. “For the first time in Delhi, hundreds of sprinkler vehicles graced the capital’s Ring Road. Our mission is one for all – pollution control. Our government is fully vigilant and committed at every level to wage a decisive war against pollution. Through these sprinkler vehicles on the Ring Road, road washing is carried out at regular intervals, which helps in reducing air pollution and effectively promotes quality and also reflects the government’s strong determination to provide citizens with a clean environment,” Gupta wrote. Earlier in March, a parliamentary committee said that the Yamuna’s ability to support aquatic life is almost absent along its Delhi stretch, noting that 23 of the 33 monitored locations – including six in the national capital – did not meet basic water quality standards, PTI reported. Air pollution in Delhi The air quality in the national capital remained in the ‘very poor’ category on Saturday morning as the air quality index (AQI) was fixed at 335 at 9 am, according to the Central Pollution Control Board (CPCB). Despite a slight improvement in recent weeks, several parts of the city remained shrouded in a thick layer of toxic smog. Many areas, including Ghazipur Mandi, Anand Vihar and Wazirpur, reported thick haze early this morning, with visibility significantly reduced. Delhi’s air quality fluctuated sharply throughout the week, with the city recording an AQI of 279 on Sunday, 304 on Monday, rising sharply to 372 on Tuesday and standing at 342 on Wednesday. Pollution issue raised in Rajya Sabha Earlier on Thursday, Biju Janata Dal (BJD) Rajya Sabha MP Sulata Deo slammed BJP over the deteriorating air quality across the country, especially in Delhi-NCR, claiming that their “400 par slogan” has now been completed as the AQI has crossed national capital areas and along national capital areas for the past 400 days. “Air pollution causes many children, senior citizens and common people to suffer from lung diseases like asthma. As you can see, air pollution is increasing every day and the condition is worsening mainly in Delhi-NCR. The 400 par slogan ‘Safal Hoya Hai’ has reached 400 in Delhi and air pollution in Delhi in Delhi said that the quality index read about 400,” (referring to AirQar). the national capital in recent days. During the Winter Session of Parliament, the Upper House witnessed sharp exchanges between the new Speaker, CP Radhakrishnan, and opposition leaders, who demanded a debate on the air quality of the national capital. (With input from agencies)