Yamuna cleanup still a work in progress

The Yamuna, which forms a natural boundary between Haryana and Uttar Pradesh, remained under intense scrutiny throughout 2025 as pollution in the river continued to dominate political discourse, legal battles and administrative action. Despite repeated assurances and multiple interventions, the issue remained unresolved by year-end, underlining the scale and complexity of restoring one of north India’s most critical rivers.

At the beginning of 2025, pollution in the Yamuna turned into a major political flashpoint during the Delhi Assembly elections, with the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) and the BJP locked in a bitter war of words. The controversy escalated after AAP convener and then Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal accused the BJP-led Haryana Government of “poisoning” the Yamuna, alleging that contaminated water was being released downstream into Delhi.

The accusation triggered a sharp political response from Haryana. In a dramatic move aimed at countering the charge, Chief Minister Nayab Singh Saini drank water from the Yamuna at Point No. 4 near Dahisara village in Sonepat on January 29. The location is significant as it marks the point where the river exits Haryana and enters Delhi. The act was projected as a symbolic assertion of the water’s purity at the Haryana-Delhi border.

The political confrontation soon spilled into the legal arena. The Haryana Government, through the State Disaster Management Authority (SDMA), filed a case against Kejriwal in a Sonipat court for his remarks accusing the state government of “poisoning” the river. Separately, another case was registered against him in February at Shahabad police station in Kurukshetra district on a complaint filed by advocate Jagmohan Manchanda.

While the political and legal sparring grabbed headlines, the underlying environmental challenge continued to worsen. The Yamuna, the second-largest tributary of the Ganga, originates from the Yamunotri glacier in Uttarakhand and merges with the Ganga at the Sangam in Prayagraj, Uttar Pradesh. The river stretches across 1,376 km and drains a catchment area of over 3.67 lakh sq km.

Of this length, around 320 km flows through Haryana. The river enters the state at Yamunanagar district with relatively clean, blue-hued water and then passes through Karnal, Panipat and Sonepat before entering Delhi. After flowing through the national capital, the Yamuna re-enters Haryana in Faridabad and Palwal districts and eventually flows into Uttar Pradesh near Kosi in Mathura district.

Despite its ecological and cultural significance, the Yamuna’s water quality deteriorates sharply as it passes through urban and industrial clusters. After the BJP formed the government in Delhi, both the Haryana and Delhi administrations claimed to have adopted a more coordinated approach towards addressing pollution in the river.

The River Rejuvenation Committee (RRC), chaired by Chief Secretary Anurag Rastogi, held several meetings during the year to review the pollution load and monitor remedial measures. The focus remained on identifying pollution sources, strengthening treatment infrastructure and enforcing compliance across districts falling within the Yamuna’s catchment area.

A detailed survey conducted by the Haryana State Pollution Control Board (HSPCB) identified 11 major drains that discharge effluents into the Yamuna across the state. These include the Dhanaura drain in Yamunanagar, Drain No. 2 in Panipat, Drain No. 6 in Sonepat, the Mungeshpur drain, the KCB drain, Drain No. 8 in Bahadurgarh, Leg-I, Leg-II and Leg-III drains in Gurugram, Budhiya Nala in Faridabad, and the Gaunchi drain in Ballabhgarh/Palwal.

The HSPCB has been monitoring the water quality of all 11 drains on a monthly basis. The findings have been alarming. Drain No. 6, Leg-I, Leg-II, Leg-III and Budhiya Nala were found to have particularly poor water quality, significantly degrading the Yamuna downstream. These drains carry a high volume of untreated or partially treated domestic sewage and industrial effluents.

The pollution control board also conducted drain-wise surveys to identify points from where untreated sewage, solid waste and hazardous industrial waste are being discharged without passing through Sewage Treatment Plants (STPs) or Common Effluent Treatment Plants (CETPs). These untreated discharges continue to be among the biggest contributors to the river’s declining health.

According to official data, wastewater generated by 34 towns located in the Yamuna catchment area is currently handled by 90 operational STPs with a combined capacity of 1,518 million litres per day (MLD). In addition, four STPs with a capacity of 170 MLD are under construction, while nine STPs with a capacity of 227 MLD are under upgradation. Another nine STPs with a proposed capacity of 510 MLD are in the pipeline.

To address industrial pollution, 17 CETPs with a capacity of 184.5 MLD have been installed across the state. Two CETPs with a capacity of 19 MLD are under upgradation, while there is a proposal to set up eight new CETPs with a combined capacity of 146 MLD.

Based on these findings, a “comprehensive drain-wise action plan for mitigation of pollution in river Yamuna” has been prepared. The RRC has been conducting monthly reviews to assess progress, fix deadlines and ensure that effluent discharge points are tapped. Special nodal officers have been appointed for each drain and directed to ensure that no untreated domestic or industrial wastewater enters the river.

How the 11 drains pollute the Yamuna

The Dhanaura Escape carries effluents from the twin cities of Jagadhari and Yamunanagar, travels through Karnal district and meets the Yamuna at Jadoli village. It carries 104.5 MLD of effluent, of which only 38.5 MLD is treated, while 66 MLD of untreated waste reaches the river. The average Biological Oxygen Demand (BOD) level in the drain is 110 mg/l.

Drain No. 2 in Panipat carries effluents from Karnal, Gharaunda and Panipat districts and meets the Yamuna at Khojkipur village. It carries 185 MLD of effluent, of which 161 MLD is treated and 24 MLD remains untreated. The BOD level is 73 mg/l, with officials identifying 105 effluent discharge points feeding into the drain.

Drain No. 6 flows through Panipat and Sonipat districts, carrying effluents from Samalkha and Sonipat towns before joining the Yamuna in Delhi via the Najafgarh drain downstream of the Wazirabad barrage. Of the 153 MLD it carries, 50 MLD is untreated. Its average BOD value is 106 mg/l, with an additional 18.21 MLD discharged from villages and institutions along its banks.

The Mungeshpur drain originates in Sonepat, passes through Jhajjar and carries effluents from Bahadurgarh city. It carries 27 MLD of treated and 46.2 MLD of untreated effluent, with a BOD level of 58 mg/l.

The KCB drain passes through Rohtak and Jhajjar districts, carrying effluents from Bahadurgarh city before joining the Yamuna in Delhi. Though most of its 22.2 MLD effluent is treated, even the small untreated fraction contributes to pollution.

Drain No. 8 carries effluents from Gurugram, with 22.5 MLD of untreated discharge and a BOD level of 15.4 mg/l. Multiple discharge points from surrounding districts add to its pollution load.

Leg-I, Leg-II and Leg-III drains in Gurugram carry significant volumes of untreated wastewater, with alarmingly high BOD levels ranging from 118 mg/l to 170 mg/l. Budhiya Nala in Faridabad and the Gaunchi drain in Ballabhgarh/Palwal also contribute heavily to pollution due to untreated discharges.

As 2025 draws to a close, the Yamuna remains a river under stress. While action plans, monitoring mechanisms and infrastructure upgrades are in place, the continued inflow of untreated sewage and industrial effluents highlights the gap between intent and implementation. The challenge before the authorities in 2026 will be to convert plans into measurable improvements in water quality.