Theme 3-2-Status of pollution of Yamuna waters and remedial measures for its prevention

Abstract

River Yamuna, a tributary of river Ganga, is one of the sacred rivers of India. Unfortunately, of late it has turned into such a state that no one would like to dip even his hand in its water. Specially downstream of Delhi City, and particularly below Okhla barrage during lean season the flow in the river is almost negligible, and consists mainly of sewage disposal and industrial effluents from Delhi and Noida. Central Water Commission (CWC) is collecting water samples of river Yamuna at 10 sites for analyzing water quality comprising 24 parameters for past two decades. Critical analysis of the data reveals that at Delhi, Mathura, Agra and Etawah, the water is unfit for human consumption. Two basic remedial measures for making Yamuna waters suitable for human consumption are (1) to increase the inflow in the river to dilute and digest the pollution load and (2) to prevent the incoming of the highly polluted waste/effluents by treating the same as per standard norms. Studies carried out to assess the quantum of water required to dilute the present incoming pollution load indicate that it is not possible to provide such huge quantity of water in the river round the year. However, a mixed solution is practicable where the effluents are treated to the minimum desired level and some minimum quantum of water as may be available by constructing reservoirs in the upstream of Delhi city, is released in the river at specified period of the year.