Fact Check: Yamuna cleaning begins under newly elected BJP-led Delhi govt? Viral video is from 2024

In this context, a video has been circulating on social media showing young men and women cleaning a water body along its banks. The overlaid text reads, “Yamuna Cleaning Drive.” The video is being shared with the claim that the newly elected Delhi State government has already begun efforts to clean the Yamuna River.

An X user shared the video expressing gratitude to PM Modi and Delhi CM Rekha Gupta, captioning it, “Yamuna Maiya’s cleaning. Thank you, Modi Ji. Thank you, Rekha Gupta Ji.” (Archive)

Similar claims can be found here and here. (Archive 1, Archive 2)

Fact Check

NewsMeter found that the claim is false. The video is from 2024 and the team cleaning the river said they are not affiliated to either the AAP or the BJP.

We found that the video was first posted by an X user, Yati Sharma, making the claim. Another X handle, Earth Warrior, commented on Sharma’s post, stating that the video features their team and was recorded in 2024. They also clarified that they are not affiliated with any political party and have been conducting cleaning drives at Delhi’s Kalindi Kunj Ghat for the past five years.

Another X user, Bhavreen Kandhari, commented on Sharma’s post, stating that credit had been falsely attributed. She clarified that the video shows a routine cleaning drive conducted by the Earth Warrior team.

Furthermore, we checked the Instagram account of Earth Warrior and found that the viral video was posted on their account on December 29, 2024. This confirmed that the video is indeed from 2024 and predates the formation of the BJP government in Delhi.

Upon reviewing the account, we found several posts (here and here) related to Yamuna cleaning drives. The account also features videos of popular environmentalist Pankaj Kumar speaking to the media, stating that Earth Warrior is a volunteer group and that he is one of its volunteers.

According to a December 9, 2024, report by ETV Bharat, Pankaj Kumar, widely known as Delhi’s Oxygen Man, is deeply committed to environmental conservation. Recently, he led his Earth Warrior volunteer group in a cleanup drive at Kalindi Kunj Ghat, a busy stretch along the Yamuna River. A former IAS aspirant, Kumar left his job in 2022 to fully dedicate himself to protecting the environment, turning his vision into meaningful action.

We could not find any mention of Pankaj Kumar speaking on behalf of a particular party or crediting his team’s effort to any government body. Speaking to NewsMeter, Kumar clarified, “Our team, Earth Warrior, has been conducting Yamuna cleaning drives for the past five years. The viral video shows a cleanup drive at Kalindi Kunj Ghat, recorded in December 2024. In addition to these drives, we also work on wastewater treatment and sewage treatment plants across India.”

Has the Yamuna clean-up begun?

Following the 2025 Delhi Assembly elections, the newly elected BJP government has launched a comprehensive plan to clean the Yamuna River. A key component of the party’s election manifesto, this initiative aims to rejuvenate the heavily polluted river within three years. According to media reports, the clean-up began just weeks after the BJP’s victory.

Delhi Lieutenant Governor VK Saxena has introduced tools such as trash skimmers, weed harvesters, and dredge utility crafts to support the effort, marking a significant step toward the efforts to restore Yamuna.

Therefore, we conclude that the viral video depicts a Yamuna cleaning drive conducted by Pankaj Kumar’s Earth Warrior volunteer group in 2024, not by AAP or BJP. The claim is false.