Rs 6,856 cr spent, but Capital’s lifeline Yamuna continues to die

The Yamuna, which is the lifeline of Delhi, continues to die despite the Delhi Government spending Rs 6,856 crore to clean the river between 2017 and 2022.

According to Centre for Science and Environment (CSE) report, despite Rs 6,856 crore spent by different departments of the Delhi Government, of which the major chunk went to the construction of new sewage treatment plants (STPs), upgrade of the existing sewage plant, de-silting of sewer lines and controlling the flow in major drains in Delhi, the river continues to be polluted and worse. It even fails to rejuvenate itself even during monsoons.

The report titled “Yamuna: A River Clean-up Agenda,” mentioned that the dissolved oxygen in midstream and downstream areas was nil even during monsoons, which is a key indicator of water quality, essential for aquatic life.

Moreover, the biochemical oxygen demand (BOD), an indicator of pollution level, was 40-50 times higher than the permissible limit at the aforementioned points.

Additionally, the faecal coliform (FC) counts, an indicator of the presence of sewage contamination, reached over 2 lakh in the downstream point during dry spells, which clearly indicate that there is large-scale dumping of raw sewage into the river, making its water unfit for human consumption throughout the year.

“When the river enters Delhi at Palla village, it has ‘life’, with a dissolved oxygen level between 5-6 mg/litre (against the standard of 5 mg/litre). By the time it reaches the next monitoring point at the ISBT, it drops to zero. In other words, the river is now officially without life,” the report highlighted.

Legal battle to save river

January 2023: A PIL filed on polluted Yamuna. NGT orders the chief secretary of Delhi to monitor progress in coordination with other authorities and chief secretaries of Haryana and UP. A high-level committee headed by Delhi Lieutenant Governor VK Saxena set up. Status report submitted to the NGT in January and July 2023.

October 2023: NGT pulls up Delhi Government for not completing work on tapping of drains, laying sewer lines in unauthorised colonies and JJ clusters, STP construction/upgrade, management of industrial waste and faecal sludge and reuse of wastewater.

August 2024: NGT takes suo motu cognisance of the matter of Yamuna pollution, highlighting concerns over pollution levels in the river and efficiency of STPs managed by the Delhi Jal Board (DJB).

November 2024: NGT pulls up DJB for not taking steps to manage the sewage flowing from storm water drains into the Yamuna. DJB and Municipal Corporation of Delhi fined Rs 25.22 crore.

January 2025: The High Court of Delhi pulls up DJB for not following court’s order over discharge of effluents from existing STPs.