Water pollution of Yamuna
Vipan Kumar
Abstract
Yamuna river is one of the important all-weather rivers of
India originating from Himalayas. In India rivers are seen
with great respect and draw ethical values. Regular fares
and community baths are organised on important
occasions on the riverbanks. The river Yamuna covers
345,850 sq km of area while traversing from Himalayas
to the plains of Uttar Pradesh at Allahabad and there it
loses its identity. It serves as lifeline to the people while
flowing through its path. It provides drinking water,
irrigation to a vast area and helps in generating electric
power.
However rapid industrialization, deforestation and
urbanization led to large discharge of industrial waste and
sewage system to this, otherwise clean river. This has
resulted in condition when water has become unfit for
drinking. It is not safe for even animals, birds, fishes etc.
The level of total coliform is twice the permissible limit at
the time when Yamuna enters Delhi, becomes 25 times
till it leaves Delhi. This all happens in a short span of
traversing 21 km of so called ‘Delhi segment’.
With the awareness created recently, steps are being
taken to plant trees along the catchment area to prevent
flow of loose soil to river. Initiatives have also been taken
to control flow of untreated industrial waste and raw
sewage to the river.
Introduction
India is herited with plenty of all weather rivers. These
rivers traverse most part of country. Most of the rivers are
seen with interest by beneficiary population of India and
thus have a great mythological significance. A near
Goddess status has been given to rivers like Ganga.
Yamuna being one of the major tributaries of Ganga also
gets same credentials. According to a sacred myth, all sins
are washed away by bathing seven times in the Yamuna.
Yamuna, more colloquially known as Jamuna, rises from
the Bundar Poonch glaciers in Uttarkashi, which is also
known as Jamunotri. It is joined by Tons river, which is
the largest tributary of Yamuna along the border of
Himachal Pradesh. When it reaches the North Indian
plains it is met with its other tributaries like Chambal,
34
Betwa and Ken. The river covers as many as seven states
and it flows almost entirely through Delhi, where it is also
exploited the most. Such is the Impact of Yamuna and
other North Indian rivers that the entire region is regarded
as most fertile land in the Indian subcontinent. The total
area it covers before merging to majestic Ganga is
345,850 square km.
Pollution problem of Yamuna
In the past the river used to be the main source of life for
drinking water, communication and irrigation. Thus
serving as the lifeline for the human kind. The pollutants
were limited to storm water drains. But with the post
world war II in general and post independence in
particular, India witnessed massive deforestation leading
to soil erosion and related problems. Simultaneously
industrialization and emphasis of modern living gained
momentum. All the major industries are on the bank of
one or the other river. Yamuna outnumbers any other
river in the number of industries on its banks. This is
because it passes through many major (post
independence) industrial cities. But real problem of
Yamuna pollution starts when it passes through state of
Delhi. Research shows that before it passes through
Delhi, the water quality is very much under control (see
Fig.1). The stretch between Wazirabad and Okhla barrage
in Delhi is only 2% of its catchment area, but it
contributes about 80% of the river’s total pollution load.
More than 57 million people depend on the Yamuna
River for drinking water, but at least 720 mld (190 mgd)
of wastewater entering the river is untreated, according to
the National River Conservation Directorate (NRCD;
New Delhi), the federal agency responsible for cleanup
efforts in India. Organic pollutants and pathogens in
wastewater make up approximately 75% to 80% of the
river's pollution load, while most other pollution comes
from industrial discharges. About 2000 million litres of
sewage is pumped into the river from Delhi every day,
and its water is now unfit to support any life. Among the
first causalities is aquatic flora and fauna, which support
many birds and mammals, which are involuntary
sufferers. Many exotic bird and fish species are thus
Nistads News, Vol.4, No.2, October 2002
either become locally extinct or are on the brink of
extinction. There are 16 major drains along the stretch
that discharge treated and untreated wastewater from
industries and sewage of Delhi and Haryana. The Hindon
Canal also discharges waste from Uttar Pradesh in this
stretch. The 22 km between the Wazirabad and Okhla
barrages is called Delhi segment, while the 490 km
stretch between Okhla barrage and the confluence with
the Chambal River is known as the eutrophicated segment
because of the quality of its water.
Average value of typical physico-chemical
parameters in three locations in Delhi along the Yamuna
is depicted in Fig.1. According to Fig.1(b) the value of
total coliform upstream of Delhi is twice the standard
value that means the pollution level is already twice
before Yamuna enters Delhi. After it passes through
Delhi, the pollution level goes 25 times the maximum
allowable!
Though the point sources like industrial waste and
sewage are the first order contamination sources in our
rivers, the non-point sources are also major contributor to
the Yamuna pollution. Non-point source pollution means
water pollution other than that caused by a discharge pipe
from a factory or municipal sewage treatment plant. Even
though animals also contribute to non-point pollution,
most of non-point pollution is due to human activities.
Construction related erosion, sedimentation, agricultural
storm water runoff, outdated urban septic systems,
fertilizers and pesticides are some of the resultant
contaminants in Yamuna due to non-point sources. Levels
of such contaminants in both surface and ground water is
disturbing. Once the contaminants enter the water source,
there is a difficult and expensive procedure to remove
them.
As a result to the growing water pollution, mineral
water market is growing with a tremendous pace. Earlier
it used to be the luxury only suitable for rich, now it has
become popular in lower middle class also. There is a
great scope of this industry in India with a current
turnover of 300 crore and a staggering growth rate of 50%
per annum. But in India as the quality consciousness is
always lacking, there are increasing number of reports of
harmful liquids being sold on the name of mineral water.
The CPCB (Central Pollution Control Board)
monitors the water quality of the Yamuna in Delhi, and it
is graded in the severely polluted category, fit only for
recreation, aesthetics, and industrial cooling. According to
the CPCB, 70% of the pollution in rivers is from
Nistads News, Vol.4, No.2, October 2002
untreated sewage. The remaining 30% is from industrial
source, agricultural run-off, garbage, etc. Delhi's
population, which stood at 9.37 million in 1991, is now
estimated to be around 13 million, and is projected to rise
to 20 million by 2010. The Yamuna is the source of 70
per cent of Delhi's water supplies; and raw water required
in 2010 would approximately be 4,030mld, with
generated sewage at around 3,920mld. Currently, though,
Delhi has the capacity to treat only 1,153mld sewage,
while its sewerage network is capable of delivering only
885.3mld to the STPs. Although raw water requirements
for Delhi are likely to be met by water stored in the Tehri
dam, sewage treatment remains a sore point. "2,083mld of
wastewater is generated within the sewered areas of
Delhi," notes a recent Central Pollution Control Board
(CPCB) report. "Even in the sewered areas, all sources of
wastewater (including households) are not connected to
the sewerage system. As a result, a significant volume of
wastewater generated remains untapped and finds its way
into open drains." It comes as no surprise, then, that Delhi
treats only 35 per cent of its sewage.
Steps already taken
With the recent awareness towards the water pollution,
Delhi government has finally woken up. It has launched a
massive drive to plant trees along with the catchment area
to prevent the erosion of the loose soil. Near about 20,000
sapling are already planted till 2001 and there is a target
of 60,000 saplings. These plants not only help to sustain
the soil they work as carbon sink for the city also. This
will surely improve the poor air quality of Delhi.
In a recent development, Supreme Court has banned
the discharge of any effluent by Delhi and Haryana
industries. Delhi government has also set up a vigilance
squad to monitor these industries. Delhi pollution control
committee (DPCC) issues notices to additional 800
industries for polluting the river. A Yamuna purification
drive was launched by Public health department in which
15 cities are actively involved. In this drive the first thing
was to control the raw sewage into the river. There are 11
treatment plants along 83 km long sewer line. These have
helped in the reduction of pollution level from 200 mg/l
to 30mg/l.
Clearly, there is a lot of activity to improve the
quality of Yamuna water. In spite of all these efforts, it
will be quite some time before we see Yamuna again in
its former glory.
35
 Faecal coliform Total coliform

60000 140000
Most Probable Number

Most Probable Number

50000 120000

40000 100000
80000
30000
60000
20000
40000
10000
20000
0 0
Upstream of Midstream Standard Upstream of Midstream Standard
Delhi Delhi Delhi Delhi

Fig (a) Fig (b)

Dissolved oxygen Biochemical Oxygen demand

8 6
7 5
6
4
5
mg/l
mg/l

4 3
3 2
2
1
1
0 0
Upstream of Midstream Standard Upstream of Midstream Standard
Delhi Delhi Delhi Delhi

Fig (c) Fig (d)

Fig. 1 Average values of selective physico-chemical parameters measured in

Yamuna at upstream and midstream of Delhi

Most probable number (MPN): per 100 ml of sample1

36 Nistads News, Vol.4, No.2, October 2002

Protecting rivers
1. River as one entity
Rivers don’t follow human boundaries but bound their
own path! But people and governments of different states
(through which Indian rivers pass en route sea) do not
seem to understand that. People and governments of each
state through which the river pass consider it as their own
property with no sence of the downstream effect. Unless
rivers are treated as one entity with no boundaries the
problem is not going to be solved. But in India, blissfully
unaware of the concequencies, people keep on exploiting
the rivers wishing the downstream user will eventually
solve the problem. It is therefore the duty of government
to direct different state governments to join hands.
Some fifty years ago, the condition of river Rhine was
just like any Indian river. The idea of treating rivers as an
entity came only when the six countries through which it
flows formed a joint commission to start a cleaning drive.
The effort payed off and the project is known as ‘the most
impressive environmental achievement in the world’.
2. A totally new sewer system
While our scientists are thinking about nuclear weapons
and space shuttle, nobody seems to be bothered about the
old, outdated sanitation system of Indian cities. There is
absolutely no thinking about need to find environment-
friendly sewage system in our country. The present
strategy is to invest in huge river clean up programmes
like the Ganga Action Plan, the Yamuna Action Plan or
the National River Action Plan to treat sewage. The
purpose is to divert the sewage to a treatment plant with
the same outdated technology, which was used 50 years
ago. This contributes to a lot of burden to the government,
as these treatment plants require a huge investment.
What we require is a cost effective, new sewerage
system for human and industrial waste disposal. We
should learn from the other countries that are looking for
other alternative paradigms for the sewage disposal. Dry
sanitation or the sanitation which uses less or almost no
water for the waste disposal is what which we should look
for. The modern sanitations systems should be based upon
traditional science of recycling but should use the latest
technologies to do so.
3. Stringent regulations for toxic discharge
Serious incidents resulting from spillages or discharges of
toxic chemicals are the pollution events that make the
news. For example, just one litre of insecticide killed over
1,000 fish in the River Glaven in Norfolk,UK. Similar
Nistads News, Vol.4, No.2, October 2002
incidents keep on happening in many Indian rivers. In a
recent incidence, hundreds of fishes were found floating
dead in Sutlej river in Punjab. Along with fish many
species of fish eating birds like Darters, Cormorants,
Storks, kingfishers and various exotic ducks as well as
mammals such as otters are involuntary sufferers. The
impact of a slow build-up of pollution over a long time
and in a wide area can be even more serious.
Unfortunately in most of Indian cities, toxic discharge by
industries, Hospitals and such other organizations is
simply dumped into any nearby water body.
Thus government of India should enforce stringent
regulations of toxic discharge into rivers. Even though
there are laws to protect the Indian rivers, most of people
do not know about them. In 1976, when the Indian
parliament passed the 42nd amendment to its constitution
safeguarding the environment, it became the first country
in the world to do so. The amendment was to “endeavour
to protect and improve the environment and to safeguard
the forests and wild life of the country.” It imposes a duty
on every Indian citizen “to protect and improve the
natural environment including forests, lakes, rivers, and
wild life, and to have compassion for living creatures.”
According to the Environment Protection Act of 1986,
Environment is that which includes the “inter-relationship
which exists among and between water, air, and land and
human beings, other living creatures, plants, micro-
organism and property.” Essentially, The Water
(Prevention & Control) Act, 1974 can be considered to be
truly the first regulations. It has been amended many
times since then.
Following are the basic Pollution control acts
provided by government of India:
1. The Water (Prevention & Control of Pollution) Act,
1974, and its amendments
2. The Water (Prevention & Control of Pollution) Cess
Act, 1974 and its amendments
3. The Air (Prevention & Control of Pollution) Act,
1981 and its amendments
4. The Environment (Prevention) Act, 1986 and its
amendments
5. National Environmental Tribunal Act of 1995
6. National Environmental Appellate Authority Act of
1997
7. Hazardous Waste (Management and Handling) Rules,
July 1989
8. The Public Liability Insurance Act, 1991
37
4. Water harvesting
Water harvesting is the area where we are still very
primitive. There is no systematic study on the area of
water harvesting in India. Water harvesting is the area of
research, which has to be exploited to its fullest in order
to save our river systems. Union ministry of urban affairs
and poverty alleviation had recently (2001) passed a
notification making rainwater harvesting mandatory in
Delhi. There was a new leash of life to the rivers in
Rajasthan when water harvesting structures were built in
Alwar district in Rajasthan. Some reports in press have
started pouring in when some inhabitants of a Delhi
housing society have reported significant benefits from
water harvesting. If the reports are correct and people are
getting such a benefits then this could be made mandatory
for the group housing.
5. Change in mindset
People, particularly those living along the banks of the
Yamuna, should realise that it is a sacred river and not a
garbage ground or a dustbin to throw waste. People have
to change their mindset with regard to the Yamuna.
One of the tasks of Yamuna action plan is to launch
a massive awareness campaign among people here so that
they can change some of their habits, which tend to
become a major source of polluting the river. The Delhi
Government and the Slum Department of the Municipal
Corporation of Delhi have already planned a massive
awareness campaign
Concluding remarks
According to an ancient quote, bathing in Yamuna
absolved all the sins; such was the purity of water. Today,
the condition of Yamuna water is so much critical that its
total coliform count is 25 times the standard (drinkable
water). So pathetic is the condition of water that it cannot
sustain much of marine life and most of the exotic fish are
either endangered or already become extinct. Fish
depending fauna is also on depleting trend and most of
the waders are no more seen on the Yamuna river. Total
The fewer facts you have in support of an opinion, the stronger your
emotional attachment to that opinion.
38
eco system associated with the river thus becomes totally
disturbed. Immediate actions are thus necessary to
improve the quality of water in the river, which are
discussed in detail., some of them being the harvesting of
water, new eco-sanitation system and implementations of
stringent regulations. The most important one is the
change in mindset of people, because all these things will
be useless if we do not respect nature’s gifts to us.
Acknowledgement
Author is gratefully indebted to Prof. Rajesh Kochhar,
Director Nistads, for the valuable suggestions and critical
views provided from time to time during this work. He is
also thankful to Shri S.K. Jain, Sc.F Nistads, for valuable
inputs.
References
1. ‘Parivesh’ – Highlights, Central Pollution Control Board,
page 17, 1999
2. Article: Yamuna
http://edugreen.teri.res.in/explore/water/yamuna.htm
3. Centre for Science and Environment, Right to Clean water,
http://www.cseindia.org/html/cmp/cmp61.htm
4. Rajat Banerji, Every river in India is polluted,
http://www.cleanganga.com/articles/4.php, March 2002
5. Rajat Banerji, Next Life for the Yamuna River – Delhi’s
Sewer, http://www.cleanganga.com/articles/index.php,
March 2002
6. Sunita Narayan, The Flush Toilet is Ecologically Mindless,
Down to Earth, February 28, 2002
7. Sharma H.C., A Dictionary of Environmental Terms (With
Hindi Translation), CBS Publishers, New Delhi, 1999.
8. http://www.hinduonnet.com/thehindu/2002/08/19/stories/2
002081907500300.htm
9. Amit Shanker, Dealing with Waste, Down to Earth, August
31, 1998
10. Galloway TS et al., Rapid assessment of Marine Pollution
using Multiple Biomarkers and Chemical Immunoassays,
Environment Science and Technology, Vol 36, No 10, 2002
— Anonymous
Nistads News, Vol.4, No.2, October 2002