Topic:- Environment and ecosystem

(Yamuna river)

Bosco Techinical Training Society

Okhla Road (Adjacent To Sukhdev Vihar Metro Station

Gate No. 3), New Delhi – 110025

As part of the fulfillment of the studies in environment of Yamuna river

Submitted by :- Shebin Kachanathu Vinod

Enrollment Number :- 35328402021

Sir name :- Dr. Sajan .M. George

Year :- 2021-2023

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 Certificate
Certified that this project report “Environment and ecosystem of Yamuna river”
submitted to “Bosco Techinical Training Society” is the bonified work of “Shebin
Kachanathu Vinod”, under the supervision of “Dr. Sajan .M. George”.

Bosco Techinical Training Society

Affiliated by

Guru Gobind Singh Indraprastha University

Teacher :- Dr. Sajan .M. George

Signature:- :-

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 Acknowledgement

No creation in this world is a sola effort. Neither this project. It would not have been
possible without the kind support and help of many individuals and organizations. I
take this opportunity to express my gratitude to all of them. I thank my God for
providing me with everything that I enquired in completing this project.

I am highly indebted to my Teacher In charge “Sir. Sajan .M. George” for providing
me an opportunity to do the project under his guidance. His support and suggestions
proved valuable in enabling the successful completion of this project.

My sincere thanks to my parents, friends and all those who have been instrumental in
the successful completion of the project.

Date:- 04-07-2021 Name:- Shebin Kachanathu Vinod

Enrollment number :- 35328402021

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Table of content

Sl.no Topic Pg.no

1. Introduction 5
2. Yamuna river 6
3. Uses of Yamuna river 7
4. Importance 8
5. Biological diversity 9
6. Yamuna biodiversity park 10
7. Ecosystem 14
8. River bank 14
9. Okhla bird sanctuary 15
10. Pollution 17
11. Domestic source 17
12. Industrial waste 18
13. Untreated sewage waste 19
14. Idol immersion 20
15. Plastic 21
16. Dumping of municipal waste 21
17. Habitats, diaries and cultivation 21
18. Prevention 22
19. Boating 22
20. Direction by Supreme court 22
21. Measures implemented by Chief minister 23
22. Measures taken by NGL 25
23. Measures of industrial department 25
24. Responsibilities of upper river Yamuna 26
25. Responsibilities of DDA 26
26. Conclusion 28
27. References 29

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 Ecosystem and our environment
Introduction

We have often heard that saving the environment is important to save our planet. The
environment sustains the life of living organisms. In a broader sense, the environment
is the surrounding in which living organisms live, on the other hand, the ecosystem is
an organized system of organisms in which living organisms interact with the
environment. Environment refers to the area where organisms live but the ecosystem
is the organized community of living beings where biotic and abiotic elements are in
continuous interaction with each other. The environment is everything around us,
including living organisms and nonliving beings such as soil, air, water, etc. The
environment helps nourish life on Earth. But, the ecosystem is a community of living
beings and nonliving components interacting with each other.

• What is an environment ?

The environment is everything that surrounds us, it is the area we live in, at a given
point in time. It enables us to live on earth by sustaining life. It comprises all the
physical, chemical, and natural forces that exist on our planet. The environment is
derived from the word ‘environ’ which means surrounding in French. The biotic
components of the environment are all organisms like birds, animals, human beings,
reptiles, including the microorganisms like bacteria, algae, viruses, and so on. The
abiotic components of the environment are soil, land, mountain, river, cloud, air,
including physical components like temperature, humidity, and so on. The
environment is very crucial for the good health and sustenance of life on Earth.

• What is an ecosystem ?

The ecosystem is considered the structural and functional unit of ecology. It is a

community where the living and nonliving components of the environment are in
continuous interaction. It can be termed as the chain of interactions taking place
between living organisms and the environment. It can be small or huge. It can be an
oasis in the desert or an ocean that covers thousands of miles. It is responsible for
maintaining stability within the environment. An ecosystem is either aquatic, that
which exists in the water or terrestrial, which means land-based ecosystems. Different
land-based ecosystems are forests, grassland, tundra, and desert. An aquatic
ecosystem is either freshwater or marine. All biotic and abiotic components are
interrelated in an ecosystem. It is always in a state of continuous evolution.

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 Introduction of Yamuna river
The Yamuna is the most important tributary of the Ganga and its source is the
Yamunotri glacier. Important pilgrimage centers like Yamunotri, Paonta Sahib,
Mathura, Vrindavan, Bateshwar & Allahabad ( now Prayagraj) are located on the
banks of the river. In Indian mythology Yamuna is referred as the daughter of the Sun
and sister of Yama. The baby Krishna is believed to have been born on the bank of
this river and is said to have freed Yamuna from “Kalia Nag.” The Yamuna’s basin is
one of the most fertile and high grain yielding river basins in the country and a boon
for agriculture. Apart from the Capital city Delhi, many large urban hubs and cities
like Yamuna Nagar,Panipat, Sonepat, Gautam Budh Nagar, Faridabad, Mathura, Agra
and Etawah are situated on the river’s banks.The challenge lies in harnessing the river
to boost environmentally safe and sustainable activities.

Yamuna River has many tributaries over its 1,376 km course. Near Dehradun, the
capital city of Uttarakhand, the Yamuna is joined by its biggest tributary, the Tons
River. The Chambal River is Yamuna’s biggest tributary on the right. Other important
tributaries of the Yamuna include the Hindon, Sarda and Giri river on the right and
Betwa and Sindh on the left

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 Uses of Yamuna river
Even today, water stands as one of the most essential requirements of life. We cannot
think our livelihood without water. Yamuna waters contribute a lot to sustaining our
lives in every manner. Some of the uses of its waters are as follows:

✓ Areas like Delhi, Mathura, Agra and Allahabad use the Yamuna water for
domestic water supplies. In Delhi, at a specific location i.e. Wazirabad, the
entire water is diverted specifically for domestic supplies.
✓ Almost 93% of Yamuna water is used for the purpose of irrigation with the
help of four irrigation canals which are Western Yamuna canal, Eastern
Yamuna canal, Agra canal & Gurgaon canal.
✓ The Yamuna basin also has huge potential to generate hydropower & currently
almost 400 MW of hydropower is being channeled through this basin.
✓ River Yamuna provides a large scope of farming for fish and other aquatic
animals.
✓ Waters of Yamuna are also used for bathing as depicted by Hindu mythology
and also for washing clothes and utensils by nearby community.
✓ Moreover, it is estimated that about 70% of the total cattle population in the
Yamuna basin uses flowing water of river and canals for bathing.

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 Importance of Yamuna river
✓ The river water is used for drinking and agriculture by the basin states of
Uttarakhand, Haryana, Uttar Pradesh, Delhi & Rajasthan. The share of
each state has been decided by a Memorandum of Understanding signed
by all the states in 1994 and is being regulated by the Upper River Yamuna
Board.
✓ The river helps replenish the water table by recharging it with flood water
and performing important ecological functions. It sustains aquatic
biodiversity and brings with it nutrient rich alluvial sedimentation full of
minerals and organic matter, during the monsoon months.
✓ Significant use of Yamuna water for domestic water supply is found in
urban agglomerations like Delhi, Mathura, Agra and Allahabad. Irrigation
is an important use of Yamuna river water. It has been estimated that about
92% of Yamuna river water is used for irrigation.
✓ Importance of Yamuna in Indian ecosystem. River Yamuna is one of the
biggest rivers to flows through the world's largest river basin- the Ganges
river basin. ... Fish, turtles, alligators and other such life dependent on
fresh river water are dying in the toxic industrial pollutants and sewage
dumped in Yamuna.

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 Biological diversity of Yamuna river
Aquatic ecosystem harbours a variety of communities, which constitute the
characteristics and functioning of the ecosystem in terms of maintaining production
and food chain. Water qualities also strongly influence distribution and extent of
biodiversity in Yamuna river. Planktonic and benthic communities determine
processes, functions and attributes of aquatic ecosystem. These organisms were
critically linked to changes in ambient environment and species present were either
tolerant to the rigorous chemical milieu or had wide ecological amplitude. The
average standing crop of total plankton in upper Yamuna was 308 u/l showing a
gradual increase down the gradient. It being 273 u/l at Hathnikund, 289 u/l at
Kalanour, 329 u/l at Badoli and 380 u/l at Sanoli (Moza and Mishra, 2003). The
present report highlights characteristics features of community structure and diversity
of phytoplankton, zooplankton, benthic communities and vertebrates of river Yamuna.
The analysis of biodiversity present in Yamuna is based on data collected from
secondary sources.

a. Phytoplankton

Phytoplanktons are the primary producers and constitute the first level in aquatic food
chain for all aquatic animals. The density and diversity of phytoplankton and their
association as biological indicators in the assessment of water quality or trophic status
has been made by some workers (Chaturvedi et al., 1999). Phytoplankton of river
Yamuna was studied Sharma, 2000; Sankar, 2002; Atul, 2002; Nautiyal, 2004, but the
studies conducted by them did not highlight the overall scenario of phytoplankton in
the river from Yamunotri to Ganga confluence

b. Periphyton

Periphyton are benthic (attached) algae that grow attached to surfaces such as rocks or
larger plants. Periphyton are primary producers and sensitive indicators of
environmental change in lotic waters. Because periphyton are attached to the
substrate, this assemblage integrates physical and chemical disturbances to the stream
reach. The periphyton assemblage serves as a good biological indicator due to:

o A naturally high number of species

o A rapid response time to both exposure and recovery
o Identification to a species level by experienced biologists
o Ease of sampling, requiring few people
o Tolerance or sensitivity to specific changes in environmental condition
are known for many species

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 Yamuna biodiversity park
Emerging as the capital’s most visited public place and prominent center for learning
and understanding the environment, the Yamuna Biodiverstity Park has become a
home for a diversity of forest communities, biologically rich wetlands, grassland
communities, a wide variety of fruit yielding species and an abundance of medicinal
herbs. The Park also comprises native flora and fauna which used to exist many
decades before and then became extinct locally. It further, acts as a natural
conservation site for specific group of endangered plants. The Yamuna Biodiversity
Park is presently spread over an area of approximately 457 acres near Wazirabad
village on the western bank of the river Yamuna.

• Herbal Garden
Herbal garden, in essence, is a reference collection of around 450 living species that
have been important in human culture throughout the ages. This garden is a green
oasis with a diversity of medicinal plants. In between more than 200 seasonal
changing beds and borders are trees with medicinal properties that provide shade to
delicate plants. The Yamuna Biodiversity Park herbal garden is a charming place to
visit any time of the year. Spring brings exuberance and the full bloom of Barlerias,
summer the flowering of the Hibiscus, the monsoon Ocimum and Costus and winter a
profusion of Andrographis, Bacopa, Calendula, Aloe, and Tylophora. A total of 434
species including 120 species of trees, 280 species of shrubs and herbs, 26 species of
climbers and 8 species of grasses have been planted. The Cerulean butterfly flutters
over the beds of Spilanthes acmella, the only place in the park where they found and
frequent bird sightings are those of the hoopoe, the green bee eater, and doves.

• Butterfly Conservatory
Butterfly Conservatory of Yamuna Biodiversity Park has become a major ecotourism
destination for visitors and nature lovers. There are four small ponds to add humidity
to the surroundings and provide moisture to the butterflies. The Plantation of native
plants will attract thousands of wild butterflies who play important roles as
pollinators, as part of the web of life and as cultural icons for human beings. Within
beds of butterfly attracting plants are trees that have been landscaped to resemble
mixed deciduous forest communities. Unlike birds, butterflies are late risers and can
be seen in large numbers late in the morning. Their population peaks in spring but
they remain visible right up to the monsoon. Presently as many as 36 species of
butterflies and caterpillars can be sighted here.
Stroll through the beautifully designed butterfly conservatory; watch the blossoming
of new life in a nearby zone of larval host plants and sericulture and admire flittering
of tasar silk moth. The “butterfly observation shed” made of bamboo is a quiet place
to sit and observe these beautiful insects at work on plants like Thevetia and
Milkweed

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 • Bambusetum
The Bambusetum, a symbol of endurance and resilience, allows specialists to study
the wide diversity of bamboo species while generalists enjoy their variety: the
climbing Ochlandra, shrub -like Arudinaria, the pole like golden bamboo and the
belly shaped Buddha-belly bamboo. Presently, 37 species of bamboos are grown in
the Bambusetum. One can see nests of the scaly breasted munia and the red vented
bulbul and regularly sight the common castor butterfly hovering over the emerging
juvenile bamboo shoots.

• Sacred Grove
A total of 30 species of Ficus have been planted in the area called the Sacred Grove
which is developed to showcase plants of religious importance. In the field of
conservation, however the term Sacred Grove is used to denote repositories of rare
and endemic species, remnants of the primary forest left untouched by the local
inhabitants due to the belief that deities reside there.

• Faunal Diversity

Different forest communities of YBP offer multiple micro-niches and habitats

allowing many animal species to come, survive and breed. Today, the Yamuna
Biodiversity harbour 2000 species of plants and animals living in some 20-25 biotic
communities having 3 trophic levels and diverse food web including 60 species of
butterflies, 50 species of dragon and damselflies, 200 species of birds and mammalian
herbivores and carnivores. The Park has attracted a specialist herbivore – Barking
deer and a top carnivore – the Leopard suggesting that ecosystem is functional. The
mosaic of wetlands is home for hundreds of resident and migratory birds. The green
cover together with large water reservoir buffers the ambient temperature and also
influences the local weather patterns. The wetlands which are already functional
harbour luxuriant aquatic vegetation, phyto- and zooplanktons and fishes. These floral
and faunal features of the wetland offer food base for the resident and migratory
ducks. Wetlands of YBP attract more than 5000 migratory ducks from Siberia, central
Asia and Europe, each year in winters. In a span of just 14years, this highly degraded
area has been turned into a lush green forest and wetland ecosystems and the diversity
of birds, insects and mammals have increased many folds.

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 • Wetlands

A wetland is a unique ecosystem that forms a zone of transition between an aquatic

and terrestrial ecosystem. It is considered to be the most productive amongst all the
ecosystems. A wetland is mainly defined as an area that is saturated by surface or
ground water for most parts of the year. Such saturated conditions give them the
characteristic of having hydric soil, which is a characteristic feature of wetlands.
Wetlands not only support great biodiversity but are also the source of livelihood for
one out of every seven people on earth.

Wetlands are characterized by unique hydrological, soil (substrate) and biotic

conditions. The hydrological regime, a resultant of the duration, flow, amount, and
frequency of water on a site, is a major factor driving the other ecological features of
a wetland. Since wetlands are transitional zones of terrestrial and aquatic ecosystems,
they are zones of rich biodiversity, often inhabited by plants and animals of both wet
and dry environments, thereby demonstrating a phenomenon called, the ‘edge effect.’
They provide a habitat to a great variety of invertebrate, fish, reptile, and amphibian
species.

As mentioned earlier, the importance of wetlands increases manifold as they are

directly linked to the livelihood of almost 15 per cent of the global human population.
Ranging from fishing to rice cultivation, a wide range of activities are dependent on
wetlands. It is estimated that these areas also attract 50 per cent of all international
tourists. This is significant from the point of view of the travel industry which is
responsible for around 200 million jobs globally. Similarly, about 40 per cent of all
fish consumed world-wide is cultured in these wetland areas. Approximately 75
percent of all commercial marine fish species depend on estuaries, which in turn
depend on their wetlands to maintain these productive ecosystems.

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PHOTOS OF WETLANDS AT WAZIRABAD BIODIVERSITY PARK, DELHI

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 Ecosystem
a. The ecosystem at the river bank

✓ A healthy floodplain gives water space to spread out and slow down.
✓ Rivers carry sediment and nutrients and aquatic life flourishes when there is
sufficient oxygen.
✓ The vegetative cover prevents soil erosion and helps regulate the water
temperature.
✓ Floodplains can be rich and biologically diverse environments that often
support an abundance of plants and birds.
✓ Floodplains take on and store excess water in times of flood, releasing it
slowly into groundwater aquifers which eventually helps recharge the river.
✓ Some of the trees which normally grow are Plum trees, guavas, eucalyptus,
jamun, mulberry, and saccharum munja, typha and other forms of grass and
shrubs are found along the floodplains of the river
✓ Puthi is most common fish variety being found in the river. Chilwa, Bachua
and golden are found in less number. Baam and Malli fish have nearly extinct
while Mangur is only found in polluted stretches.

b. Ohkla bird sanctuary

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Okhla Bird Sanctuary is a bird sanctuary at the Okhla barrage over Yamuna River. It
is situated in Noida, Gautam Buddh Nagar district, on Delhi-Uttar Pradesh state
border and known as a haven for over 300 bird species, especially waterbirds

A total of 302 species have confirmed records from Okhla bird sanctuary and the
areas in its immediate vicinity. An additional 27 species have been listed by Harris
(2001) as probable, but unconfirmed, occurrence. In January 2011, as a part of Asian
Waterbird Census 2011, a leucistic coot, known for its unusual bright white plumage,
was spotted with the flock of common coots, for the first time in India. The sanctuary
hosts over 400 species year round and over 1 lakh migratory birds in winter months. It
hosts 30% of the 1200 to 1300 bird species recorded in the Indian sub-continent.

Bio diversity status

✓ More than 188 species of plants recorded including herbal plants recorded and
out of these 121 species of herbs, 10 species of shrubs, 30 species of trees, 9
species of herbaceous climbers and 16 species of grasses.

✓ About 10 species of threatened birds recorded includes species of critically

endangered (CR) birds, species of nearly threatened (NT) birds recorded.

✓ More than 320 bird species recorded out of these 20 common resident water
bird species and 44 common resident woodland species and 43 migratory
water birds species and 26 migratory woodland birds species.

✓ About 10 species of mammals includes nilgai, indian mongoose, blacknaped

hare, jackels, 08 species of reptiles, 02 species of amphibians.

✓ One of the 466 IBA (international bird area) sites in india.

✓ A variety of both native and exotic species (188) of plants can be seen in OBS.
The water body is mainly covered in patches by water hyacinth Eichhornia
cracippes and water lettuce Pistia stratiotes. Hydrilla verticillata, Vallisnaria
spiralis, Potamogeton pectinatus, Potamogeton crispus are the common
submerged vegetation. The reed beds, Typha angusatata and Phragmites
maxima are abundant along the deltas and banks providing habitat for birds of
all kinds in the Sanctuary. The banks have a variety of trees (30 species) like
Ficus, Babool, Sheesham, Semal, Subabool, Keekar and several shrubs (10
species) and herbs (9 climbers, 16 grasses). This provides excellent hiding,
and roosting site for birds.

✓ Apart from birds 10 species of Mammals including Nilgai, Indian Mongoose,

Black-naped Hare & Jackals along with 08 species of Reptiles, 02 species of
amphibians and more than 30 species of butterflies and numerous other insects
are also recorded from OBS

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Some birds from Okhla bird sanctuary

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 Pollution at Yamuna river
Long ago, the waters of Yamuna were pristine blue but today the Yamuna is
considered to be one of the severely polluted rivers in the world. The Yamuna is
particularly polluted downstream of New Delhi, the capital of India, which dumps
about 58% of its waste into the river. The most pollution comes from Wazirabad,
from where Yamuna enters Delhi.

Main causes of pollution

• Domestic source

According to a report submitted by the Delhi Pollution Control Committee and the
Central Pollution Control Board (CPCB) to the Yamuna Pollution Control
Committee, at least 90% of domestic wastewater in the city flows into the
Yamuna. The wastewater mainly comes from household activities hence the
presence of high content of detergent, laundry chemicals, and phosphate
compounds. Samples collected were found to have phosphate concentration
of 0.51 mg/litre, which is higher than the normal range of 0.005 to 0.05mg/litres.
This abundance of phosphate formed layers of toxic froth covering the rivers.

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 • Industrial waste

The catchment area of River Yamuna in Delhi is highly urbanized and is networked
with several drains. Najafgarh and Shahdara drains are the major drains that discharge
a heavy load of pollutants into the river. Rapid urbanization and population growth
results in industrialization pose a major threat of heavy metal pollution for nearby
water bodies. The water quality monitoring of River Yamuna has indicated a
significant presence of several heavy metals in its water.

Among the heavy metals investigated in the River Yamuna water, Iron (Fe) was found
to be most abundant and even exceeding the limit. High amounts of heavy metals in
water can cause several health effects such as reduced growth and development,
cancer, organ damage, nervous system damage, etc.

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 • Untreated sewage waste

More than 800 million litres of largely untreated sewage is pumped in the Yamuna
each day. Another 44 million litres of industrial effluents are also discharged daily
into the river. Sewage that is treated before being released into the river accounts for
only 35% of the total estimated sewage discharge. According to the Central Pollution
Board, the water contains a concentration of 1.1 billion fecal coliform bacteria per
100 milliliters of water. The standard for bathing is 500 coliform bacteria per 100
milliliters.

Although Sewage treatment plants (STPs) have been constructed in various parts of
Delhi, the treated, or partially treated sewage from these STPs is continuously being
discharged directly or through the carrier drains into the river. Many times untreated
sewage goes directly into the river at few locations due to non-operational STPs
caused by power failures, mechanical problems or maintenance issues, which further
deteriorate water quality issues.

The river upstream of Wazirabad water works is comparatively less polluted. One can
identify the difference in the color of the water. Just below the waterworks one drain
carrying sewage from Ghaziabad join the river. About one km downstream of the
river the Najafgarh drain joins the river from the right side and this drain carries water
waste. At the Keshopur sewage treatment plant some waste water from the
surrounding drain is treated but after only primary treatment about 30 percentage of
the water is again released into the drain. At a later stage waste water from the
different industrial areas including Wazirabad industrial area flows into the ‘nullah’
and ultimately the entire polluted water finds its way to Yamuna river Timarpur.

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 • Idol Immersion leading to increased toxicity

Immersion of idols during festivals with cheap lead and chrome paints and plaster of
paris and puja articles such as polythene bags, foam cut-outs, flowers, food offerings,
decorations, metal polish, plastic sheets etc, all these items all are a cause for concern
for river’s quality.

Post-immersion, the Central Pollution Control Board (CPCB) found that the level of
heavy metals such as chromium and iron increased significantly. Chromium increased
11 times from the permissible limit of 0.05mg/L, while iron concentration increased
71 times from the 0.3 mg/L limit.

If the water is not treated, it will increase the chance of toxins entering the food chain
through vegetables grown on the floodplains. The toxicity of heavy metals can
damage the brain, lungs, kidney, liver, other vital organs functions and alter blood
composition.

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 • Plastic pollution

In Agra, the Yamuna has been choked by intense plastic pollution. After the 2017 ban
on single-use plastics, there has still been rampant use of plastics which is evident by
the production of plastic. According to records, Delhi produces 2,51,674 tonnes of
plastic each year — 50% of which is single-use. That’s roughly 63,000 elephant’s
worth of plastic.

Along the river, anything from flip-flops to paper products lay in piles every few feet
and a lot of plastic bags, even recyclable ones, end up in the river. Dr Anil Kumar,
director at the state environment department, said plastics enter the river mostly
through open drains in which people dispose of their waste.

• Dumping of municipal & construction waste into drains & river

Truckloads of construction and demolition waste and even Bio-medical waste is

dumped onto the floodplains or directly into the drains and river. The river gets
choked and its natural self-cleansing ability is destroyed. Solid waste blocks the
drains and deadens the river. That is one reason why there is back flow and there is
flooding on the streets even after a few showers. Trucks dumping malba and debris
are not stopped or fined by enforcement agencies .There is little deterrence of illegal
dumping by land owning agencies. Dredging and de-silting of drains is reported to be
done perfunctorily.

• Habitation, dairies and cultivation on the river

Vegetable cultivation and running of dairies is continuing on the flood plains and
river embankments despite periodic bans. Produce grown in sewage water leads to
water borne diseases. The main owner of the flood plain area is the Delhi
Development Authority and it had not succeeded in preventing encroachment. The UP
Irrigation Department and DDA have been engaged in a long drawn court case for
decades, even as vast tracts of the flood plain under its jurisdiction is under
cultivation. Coordinated and swift action to evict or resettle the cultivators on the
flood plains has not been pursued. Human occupation and activity on the flood plain
is also responsible for pollution in the river bed.

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 Prevention against pollution of Yamuna river
This performance audit is the third in the series of reviews carried out by audit on
issues relating to sewage management and treatment aimed at controlling water
pollution in the National Capital Territory (NCT) of Delhi. The earlier two reviews
printed in the reports of the Comptroller and Auditor General of India relating to the
Government of NCT of Delhi presented to the Legislature during 2000 and 2004
highlighted inter alia the slow progress of construction of sewage treatment plants
(STPs) and sewage pumping stations (SPSs), rehabilitation of sewer lines, tardy
progress of construction and utilisation of common effluent treatment plants (CETPs)
to treat industrial effluents and continuing flow of large quantities of domestic and
industrial sewage into the Yamuna without treatment resulting in pollution of the river
water during its passage through the NCT of Delhi. Highlights of each of the earlier
reviews are at Annex I.

• Boating, bathing and fishing in the Yamuna can be health hazard

During the rains once the river is in full spate people enjoy many pursuits like
boating, bathing and fishing. Control of coliform bacteria is essential as polluted
water can cause many diseases. Disease-causing pathogens and bacteria and are
present in sewage water and the presence of heavy metals is dangerous. Against the
prescribed maximum limit of 5000MPN/100 mL for a class C water body, the
Coliform bacteria in Delhi stretch of Yamuna are in range of 0.17 million to 160
million MPN/100 mL over some months of lean season flow. Pollutants cause
diseases like hepatitis-A, cholera, typhoid, ring worm and hook worm.

• Directions of the supreme court and national green tribunal

On the directions of the Hon’ble Supreme Court, Delhi Jal Board in 2006, formulated
an Interceptor sewer scheme to trap and treat the entire sewage flowing into three
major drains (Najafgarh, Supplementary and Shahadra Drains)at the nearest STP.

A High Powered Technical Committee constituted by the Supreme Court comprising

senior representatives from CGWB, CWC, CPCB, IIT Delhi, CPHEEO (MoUD),
GOI and DJB recommended the proposal for an Interceptor sewer system to be
implemented by Delhi Jal Board.

Central Ground Water Board, Central Water Commission, Central Pollution Control
Board, IIT, Central Public Health Environmental Engineering Organisation (Ministry
of UD, Delhi Jal Board.)

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 • Kejriwal announces new 6-point plan to clean Yamuna

Delhi chief minister Arvind Kejriwal said his government has prepared a six-point
action plan to clean the Yamuna by February 2025. The river’s stretch in Delhi is one
of its most polluted sections.

The first action point is increasing the city’s sewage treatment capacity and improving
the quality of treatment. At present, Kejriwal said, Delhi has the capacity to treat only
about 600 MGD of sewage because of which a lot of it is left untreated and released
directly into the Yamuna. “The city actually needs sewage treatment plants (STPs)
with a total capacity of 800-850 MGD. We are doing three things on this front: 1)
Setting up new sewage treatment plants such as the coronation plant and the ones
being built at Okhla, Kondli, Rithala and so on; 2) Increasing the capacity of the
existing plants; 3) Existing plants are operating with old technology because of which
even treated water is dirty and not up to the mark. We will upgrade the technology to
ensure the released treated water is of 10/10 purity as per the normal standards”

The second action point is in-situ cleaning of the city’s major drains. Kejriwal said the
Najafgarh drain, Badshahpur drain, supplementary drain and Ghazipur drain will be
cleaned on the spot with a new technology without diverting its waste to another
plant. The remaining drains, he said, will be diverted to the city’s STPs.

The third action point, Kejriwal said, would be to properly treat industrial waste and
take action against units that do not adhere to the set norms. “A lot of industries on
paper show that all their waste is being released only after proper treatment. But, the
reality is that industrial waste treatment is practically not happening at present. All the
effluent treatment plants that are not operating properly will be repaired and
upgraded. The industries which fail to send their waste to effluent treatment plants
will be shut down,”

The fourth focus point will be community toilets built in different slum clusters and
jhuggis of Delhi. “At present, the waste from all the community toilets in jhuggis is
released into storm water drains as a result of which their sewage is released directly
into the river. These will be diverted and linked to sewage lines instead, so that the
waste is treated properly,”

The fifth action point will be to increase household sewage connections in the city.
“Many people still haven’t taken sewer connections in the city. Many households
release their sewage directly into the local nullahs. We have decided that the Delhi
government, on its own, will put sewer connections in people’s houses. They will not
have to apply or seek permission from us. We will charge a nominal rate which will
be adjusted in their water bills,”

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The sixth point will be de-silting and rehabilitation of the city’s entire existing sewer
network. “I am personally monitoring this project. We have set specific milestones for
each action point and I will ensure that the deadlines are not missed,”
The Yamuna enters Delhi near Palla and travels about 48km through the city. The
22km stretch between Wazirabad to Okhla is the most polluted where 2% of the
overall river length contributes to 70% of total pollution in the river, as the erstwhile
Yamuna Monitoring Committee has repeatedly highlighted in its reports.

Dumping of raw sewage, untreated industrial pollutants and solid waste are the key
causes of pollution in the river. The three biggest drains contributing to the Yamuna
pollution are Najafgarh, Supplementary and Shahdara drain.

Manoj Mishra, convener of the Yamuna Jiye Abhiyan, said that of the action points
announced by the government on Thursday, the tackling of industrial pollutants
should be the immediate priority. “We have seen during the lockdown period in 2020
that Yamuna can be cleaner if industrial pollution can be checked and the ecological
flow in the river can be ensured. The river has no future unless we ensure an
ecological flow in it. Otherwise, no matter what we do, the conditions will not
improve,”

Diwan Singh, another Yamuna activist who led a satyagraha for cleaning the river in
2007, said the actions of all previous government do not inspire confidence that the
Yamuna can be cleaned by 2025. “Even when the AAP came to power, they
announced that the river will be cleaned in 4-5 years but not an iota of difference in
the condition of the river can be seen. The city continues to grow in an unplanned
manner and the goalpost keeps shifting. Unless we tackle our urbanisation mess, the
river cannot be cleaned. We will remain in this catch 22 situation,”

In Uttar Pradesh, Two projects “Rehabilitation of Sewerage Infrastructure and

Augmentation/ Upgradation of STP at Vrindavan (Mathura), U.P. has been sanctioned
at a total cost of Rs. 33.81 crore for pollution abatement of river Yamuna and other
project “Rehabilitation/Renovation of Mathura sewerage scheme” has been
sanctioned at a total cost of Rs. 204.97 crore under hybrid annuity based PPP model.
These works are in bidding stage.

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 Major directions of NGT(National Green Tribunal)
Several orders of NGT starting 2012 culminated in a judgement dated 13-01- 2015
issued after hearing all stakeholders mainly DJB, MCDs, DDA, DSIIDC, I&FC,
MoUD, MoWR and MOEF&CC.

These included :

Preservation and Rejuvenation of the flood plain by removing unauthorised

construction and encroachments,

Stopping the flow of sewage into the natural storm water drains.

Treatment of sewage flowing through Najafgarh and Supplementary drains which

contribute 60% of the pollution in the Delhi as part of Phase-I programme.

Application of the Polluter Pays Principle.

Measures to control pollution discharged in the drains by the States of Haryana and
UP. Huge quantities of industrial effluent and sewage are generated by cities near the
river

NGT Orders Setting up Monitoring Committee & Terms of

Reference
On 25th July 2018, Hon’ble NGT reiterated the roles and responsibilities of all
stakeholders and decided to form a Monitoring Committee to prepare an Action Plan
and report progress to NGT by specified dates.

On 26th July 2018, Hon’ble NGT issued an order constituting a two member
Monitoring Committee comprising of Ms. Shailaja Chandra, former Chief Secretary,
Delhi and Mr. B.S. Sajwan former Principal Chief Conservator of Forests and former
Expert Member of Tribunal. The Chief Secretary, Delhi and the CEO, Delhi Jal Board
were entrusted with the responsibility of making the Committee functional within one
week.

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 Responsibilities of industrial department and DSIIDC
✓ Ensure that all the industries located within the industrial clusters are linked
through conduit pipes with the CETP.
✓ Any industry not linked to CETP to be closed and de-licensed
✓ All the water consuming industries set up their own primary ETP before
conveying their Effluent to the CETP and also adhere to the standards for
primary ETP
✓ Establish and maintain online connectivity of CETP with CPCB and DPCC
servers for real-time online monitoring of performance of CETPs with a
mechanism for exception reporting.
✓ Regulate industries located in 11 industrial cluster which do not have CETPs
are stated to be non water consuming. How is their waste both solid,
hazardous and liquid(non process) handled and disposed of.
✓ Prohibit functioning of industries in non-conforming/residential areas in
coordination with MCDs, DDA and other Agencies/Departments
✓ Achieve Zero Liquid Discharge status for all the CETPs and thereby recycle
all the treated waste water and reduce demand on ground water
✓ Prepare and implement Action Plan for disposal of Hazardous waste and
sludge generated at CETPs

Responsibilities of upper Yamuna river board

✓ Entire water is barraged at Hathni Kund Dam and diverted into Eastern
Yamuna Canal in UP and Western Yamuna Canal in Haryana.
✓ There is no water in River Yamuna after Hathni Kund Barrage for bulk of the
year except the 10 Cumecs released which percolates/evaporates about 70-80
Km downstream with the river being completely dry thereafter. Clean water
discharged into River Yamuna at Palla is hardly adequate to run Chandrawal
and Wazirabad Water Treatment Plants.
✓ Hence, there is no fresh water beyond Wazirabad Barrage.
✓ Only waste water coming from Najafgarh, Supplementary and 17 other drains
flows into the River from Wazirabad Barrage to Okhla.
✓ UYRB, which regulates water in Yamuna, that river has fresh water between
Hathanikund and downstream of Wazirabad.
✓ To decide about measures needed to improve environmental flow based on
expert advice.

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 Responsibilities of Delhi Development Authority (DDA)
✓ Mapping and Demarcation of the Flood plains.
✓ Creation of wetlands and biodiversity to rejuvenate the flood plains.
✓ Use Watch & Ward measures and Technological Solutions e.g Geo Spatial
mapping to take prompt and effective action against Encroachment and
Unauthorized Construction on the flood plains.
✓ Take effective deterrent action against those found dumping waste into river.
Police cases to be followed up and the progress of arrests, status of issue of
charge sheets, convictionsmonitored.
✓ Reclaim DDA land on the flood plains which is under encroachment

DDA has stated that the Yamuna Biodiversity Park is spread over an area of
185 Ha. Approximately is already operational North of Wazirabad in Zone
‘O’. Approximately 93 Ha has been developed at Asita west according to the
guidelines of Hon’ble NGT where wetland and retention basins have been
developed. An area spreading over of 23 Ha. located at Khijrabad is being
handed over to CEMDE (Prof.C.R. Babu’s team) to be developed at South
Bio-diversity Park. Also, two wetlands named Hindon cut wetlands (I), (II) are
also being handed over to CEMDE.

The MC had taken the initiative to ask the Vice Chairman DDA to organise a
half day visit to the Wazirabad Bio diversity Park and to ask the UP Irrigation
and Floods engineers as well as those from the GNCT Irrigation & Flood
Control Department to come. A two hour walk around the wetlands led to a lot
of positivity and Professor Babu was able to convince all those who had not
understood the concept of wetlands about how it can become a green ling in a
congested city and a haven for migratory birds and a habitat for forest fauna.
The visit was very rewarding and the concept has been captured on the MC’s
website too. The E-in –C of UP Irrigation was very favourably inclined to take
up wetland development on the opposite bank of the river which rests with UP
State and a dialogue between the UP authorities and DDA has begun to see
whether DDA can execute those plans too.

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 Conclusion
The Yamuna joins the Ganga at Prayag(Allahabad). It is the ongest tributary of the
Ganga. It has its source in the yamunaotri glacier. Cities like Delhi and Agra are
situated on the banks of the river. The total length of Yamuna is 376km. Hindon, ken,
Chambal are its important tributaries. The river Yamuna is also associated with Lord
Krishna in various scriptures. Two main water sources for Delhi are the Yamuna and
Ganga which provides around 90 per cent of the water supply. The remaining 10 per
cent is covered by ground water. Of these - Haryana and Uttar Pradesh are two main
states that supply raw water through canals and channels.

River bed of the upper Yamuna is primarily sandy in texture having sand in the range
of 70.52-74.76%, silt in the range of 17.74-18.56% and clay in the range of 7.35-
11.55%. Due to large variation in climate and soils, the natural vegetation is also
highly variable in the Yamuna river basin. It helps create the highly fertile alluvial
Ganges-Yamuna Doab region between itself and the Ganges in the Indo-Gangetic
plain. Nearly 57 million people depend on the Yamuna's waters, and the river
accounts for more than 70 percent of Delhi's water supply. Yamuna is one of the
holiest rivers in Hinduism. Yamuna is only second to the Ganges (Ganga), the holiest
river in Hinduism. Her confluence with the Ganges and the mythical Sarasvati River
is called Triveni Sangam, which is a very holy pilgrimage spot. The river Yamuna is
one of the most polluted rivers of India. Domestic wastewater, industrial effluents,
idol immersion, pesticide residue, untreated sewage are some of the sources of
pollution of river Yamuna. The state of Haryana is taking all possible and permissible
steps to curb the pollution in the river water. However, the situation is the other way
round as Delhi causes 79% of pollution in the water of river Yamuna", said the
Haryana government in the affidavit.

So, we can prevent the pollution by not throwing any solid waste into the water
streams as it clogs the flow of water thereby leading to pollution. Avoid releasing
construction waste into the river. Use organic gardening techniques and avoid using
pesticides and other herbicides. Avoid releasing harmful chemicals and oils into storm
drains or rivers.

Ross Perot-“The activist is not the man who says the river is dirty. The activist is
the man who cleans up the river”

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References

1. Wikipedia

2. Some visited sites topics

“Impact of Yamuna river”

“Biodiversity of Yamuna river”

“Flaura and fauna”

“Measure to control water pollution”

3. Downloaded pdf’s notes

A pictures taken from the Yamuna river bank , Kalindi Kunj

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 A board at the Yamuna river front, Kalindi Kunj

“Just think what is the advantage of studying and fighting for election, In Delhi
most polluted water is there find means to clean it.”

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