From pristine river to sewage drain, Yamuna becomes a political battleground in Delhi elections

With just days to go before the Delhi Assembly elections, the political battle over the plight of Yamuna—one of the most polluted and exploited rivers of the world—is escalating.

The war of words between the ruling AAP and rival BJP intensified with former Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal accusing the BJP’s Haryana government of “mixing poison” in its water.

In turn, BJP’s Haryana Chief Minister Nayab Saini slammed Kejriwal for the “blatantly false and disgusting statements,” asking him to apologise to the people of Haryana and Delhi.

Not to be left behind, the Congress waded in the issue, urging the Election Commission to take action against AAP if its claims were found to be false and against the BJP if they were found to be true.

“The people of Delhi get drinking water from Haryana and Uttar Pradesh... but the Haryana government has mixed poison in the water coming to Delhi from the Yamuna and sent it here...” Kejriwal alleged, claiming that vigilance by the Delhi Jal Board saved the city.

The DJB called Kejriwal's claims “false”

Yamuna—politics

Cleanliness, rather pollution, of Yamuna has always been a political issue in Delhi whether during elections or the 'Chhath' festival.

Ahead of the 2020 election, the AAP leader promised to transform the polluted river into a clean, drinkable water source like London’s Thames.

The promise remains unfulfilled

Last week, Kejriwal acknowledged failure to deliver on the promise, insisting that it will become a reality if his party was voted to power for the third consecutive term.

Meanwhile, the BJP has been daring Kejriwal to take a dip in Yamuna. After taking a dip in Prayagraj Mahakumbh, Home Minister Amit Shah reminded Kejriwal of his promise to clean Yamuna.

“He even said he would take a dip in the Yamuna in front of the people of Delhi. Arvind Kejriwal, the people of Delhi are waiting for your world-famous dip in the Yamuna. If not in Yamuna, he can go to the Mahakumbh and take a dip over there to get rid of his sins,” Shah said.

Yamuna—the abuse

According to a 2023 report by the Delhi Pollution Control Committee report, multiple projects to clean the river are running behind schedule.

The story of the Yamuna, one of the most polluted rivers of the country, is a tale of the inherent greed of human beings.

Yamuna passes through some of the most fertile land in the country, providing its people nourishment, abundance and prosperity.

As late environmentalist Manoj Misra of the Yamuna Jiye Abhiyaan told The Tribune in 2007 “Yamuna appears to be fighting a lost battle for survival against the powerful forces of avarice and general apathy.

But has the river suddenly become polluted?

Old timers have fond memories of river rafting and visiting its ghats in Delhi for a refreshing dip, something which is almost impossible now.

“My first experience of rafting in Yamuna was in 1951, as a 16-year-old cadet. The river was pristine. It was still all right till the late 1970s, but things worsened in the 1980s and we stopped sailing. Now the river is nothing but an obnoxious smelly nallah,” Indian Naval officer Surveshwar Sinha recounted in the 2007 Tribune story.

Used for power generation, agriculture, drinking water, religious rituals, bathing and cattle wading by those living on its banks, the river has now become a dumping ground for the very people it sustains.

Domestic, agricultural and industrial pollution and the lowest value of Dissolved Oxygen (DO) makes it the most-polluted river in the country.

Yamuna has one of the highest Biochemical Oxygen Demand (BOD) amongst all rivers in the country and the highest count of total coliform numbers and faecal coliform numbers.

At some places it resembles a wide sewage disposal drain. Encroachment on its riverbed has added to its woes.

The holy Yamuna

Originating from the Yamunotri glacier in Uttarakhand, the river travels about 1,376 km to meet the holy Ganga at Prayagraj.

According to mythology, Yamuna is a daughter of Surya and Sharanyu and the twin sister of Yama, the god of death.

At Yamunotri there is also a temple dedicated to Goddess Yamuna.

It was said to be a tributary of river Ghaggar at some time which changed course following tectonic activities and the river became a tributary of the Ganga.

The Doab region, where the Ganga and the Yamuna flow, is the most fertile region of the subcontinent.

However, while on its way to Prayagraj (where it meets the Ganga and the mythological Saraswati), Yamuna becomes one of the most polluted and exploited rivers of the world, especially in its course in plains.

Yamuna covers a distance of 170 km in the hills of Uttarakhand, passing through the elevated valley of Dehra Dun, cutting through Shivalik hills to enter the plains of Haryana and UP.

Tons and Asan in Uttarakhand and Kamal and Giri in Himachal are its main tributaries.

At Tajewala, the river waters are divided into two parts —the Western Yamuna Canal (WYC) and the Eastern Yamuna Canal (EYC) that divert its waters into Haryana and UP.

It does receive some respite from ground water accrual but mostly the river carries the burden of the cities it passes through.

Subsurface aquifers at a few points recharge Yamuna to make it into a flowing body.

It also gets some life when it meets the Chambal river at Etawah. But by then there is hardly any water of the original Yamuna left in it, say environmentalists.