A Parliamentary Standing Committee on Water Resources in its report on ‘’Review Of Upper Yamuna River Cleaning Project Upto Delhi And River Bed Management In Delhi”, said the Yamuna river’s capacity to sustain life have been found to be almost non-existent in the Delhi stretch, noting that 23 out of the 33 monitored sites, including six in the national capital, failed to meet primary water quality standards.
Having taken note of the presence of heavy metals like lead, copper, zink, nickel, cadmium and chromium in the riverbed of Yamuna which pose a serious threat to the heath and ecosystem of the river, the Committee recommended that the Department explore the possibility of controlled dredging. The Department has through their Action Taken Replies furnished the submissions of various Departments of the Yamuna basin States. However, the Delhi Jal Board has not furnished its reply.
The Yamuna flows through a 40 km stretch in Delhi, entering at Palla from Haryana and exiting at Asgarpur into Uttar Pradesh. The dissolved oxygen (DO) levels, which reflect the river’s capacity to sustain life, were found to be almost non-existent in the Delhi stretch, the report said. It said the Yamuna has been categorised into three parts viz. the part from Yamunotri to HathniKund Barriage may be considered as unpolluted stretch, the part from HathniKund Barriage to Palla is moderately polluted. However, the part from Palla to Okhla, basically the Delhi stretch is severely polluted. Further, as per the Primary Water Quality Criteria for organised outdoor bathing, the Dissolved Oxygen (DO) is specified as 5 mg/l or more, the Biochemical Oxygen Demand (BOD) is specified as 3 mg/l or less and Fecal Coliform (FC) is specified as less than 2500 MPN/100 ml.
The water quality data of monitored 33 locations during January, 2021 - May, 2023 was analysed for 4 parameters viz, Dissolved Oxygen (DO), pH, Biochemical Oxygen Demand (BOD) and Fecal Coliform (FC). The results were compared with the Primary Water Quality Criteria for Outdoor Bathing (PWQC) notified by Ministry of Environment, Forest & Climate Change under the Environment (Protection) Rules, 1986.The analysis revealed that: All the 04 monitored locations each in Uttarakhand and Himachal Pradesh are complying while all the 06 monitored locations are non-complying with the criteria in Haryana. All the 07 monitored locations in Delhi were non-complying with the criteria during 2021. 06 locations were non-complying except at Palla (entry point of Delhi) which is observed complying during 2022 & 2023. Out of 12 monitored locations in Uttar Pradesh, 11 are observed non complying during 2021- 2023.
“Further, the National Mission for Clean Ganga (NMCG) in their reply has cited the observation of a Committee headed by Dr MA Chitale which in their Report - For Preparation of Guidelines for Works on De-siltation from Bhimgauda to Farakka submitted in February 2017 did not recommend the large scale de-silting or dredging of rivers. Taking into account the replies of various Departments of Yamuna Basin States and deteriorating water quality of river Yamuna due to existence of heavy metals beyond permissible limits, the Committee reiterated that the Department may take pro-active steps at least for controlled dredging of the sludge which cannot be left to the vagaries of monsoon rains and whose continued presence may further decay the water quality of such an important river,” the report said.
The report stated even if Delhi Jal Board (DJB) treats the entire sewage generated in Delhi upto Biochemical Oxygen Demand (BOD) of 10 mg/l desired water quality of BOD less than 3 mg/l & Dissolved Oxygen (DO) more than 5 mg/l may not be achieved in river Yamuna due to unavailability of fresh water in the river downstream of Wazirabad and importance of minium flow for sustenance of river ecosystem.
In its report the Committee warned that despite the construction and upgrade of sewage treatment plants (STPs) in Delhi and Uttar Pradesh, pollution levels remain alarmingly high. The Committee called for a coordinated response from all stakeholders to tackle pollution and restore the river’s health.
The panel raised particular concerns over encroachment along the Yamuna floodplains. While Delhi and Haryana provided information on encroachments, Uttar Pradesh and Uttarakhand are yet to furnish complete details.
The floodplain zone of the Yamuna in Uttar Pradesh remains undemarcated, despite its ecological importance in flood management. The Committee highlighted that the Delhi Development Authority (DDA) retrieved approximately 477.79 hectares from encroachments along the floodplains. However, some parts of the floodplains remain occupied due to ongoing litigation.The panel urged the Department of Water Resources, River Development, and Ganga Rejuvenation to work with the DDA and the state governments to expedite the removal of encroachments and ensure the restoration of the floodplain ecosystem. Legacy sludge in the Yamuna riverbed remains a major concern.
The Committee also flagged the failure to maintain environmental flow (E-flow) in the Yamuna. According to the 1994 MoU among Yamuna basin states, Haryana is required to release 10 cumecs of water from the Hathnikund Barrage to maintain ecological balance. However, the Committee noted that this flow is insufficient, as much of it evaporates or percolates before reaching Delhi. The Committee urged the Department of Water Resources to resolve these differences and increase the E-flow to sustain the river’s ecosystem.
The Delhi State Industrial and Infrastructure Development Corporation (DSIIDC) informed the panel that it only monitors 28 approved industrial areas, 17 of which are connected to 13 Common Effluent Treatment Plants (CETPs). The remaining 11 are not classified as water-polluting industrial areas.
The Committee noted that no data is available on unauthorised industrial units that might be discharging untreated effluents into the Yamuna. It recommended that the Delhi government conduct a comprehensive study to identify such units and strengthen pollution control measures.
The report also pointed to the failure to treat domestic sewage. According to the report, nearly 22 major drains discharge untreated sewage directly into the Yamuna. Despite significant investments under the Namami Gange Programme, the sewage treatment gap remains at approximately 1,500 million litres per day (MLD).
