Delhi's 2025 Power Shift: New Govt, Same Old Toxic Air & Polluted Yamuna

• Delhi witnessed a political change in 2025, with BJP taking power from AAP after nearly a decade, and Rekha Gupta becoming Chief Minister.
• Despite high expectations for environmental improvement under the new government, the city's toxic air and polluted Yamuna river remain largely unchanged.
• Over Rs 5,500 crore was spent on Yamuna cleanup, showing some upstream improvement, but downstream pollution persists due to untreated waste.
• Air quality saw marginal gains from January to November 2025, yet December recorded Delhi's worst average AQI since 2018, with hazardous levels.
• The environmental crises continue to fuel political blame games, with the Rekha Gupta government under pressure for tangible change in 2026.

Why It Matters: Delhi's 2025 government change brought no relief to its persistent air and Yamuna pollution crises.