Why BJP's plan to save a 'near-dead' Yamuna won't be an easy task

Yamuna river

The unmatched priority given to Yamuna in the run-up to the Delhi Assembly polls did not go unnoticed as parties rallied around the issue of deteriorating water quality in Delhi stretch of the 'near-dead' river. The importance attached to cleaning of Yamuna river was clearly visible with the the newly sworn-in ministers attended an aarti ceremony on the banks of Yamuna on the same evening. The previous Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) govt drew flak for not meeting its own target of cleaning the river by 2025.

The previous BJP government in Delhi, which served 27 years ago, left the river in a far less polluted state, and the challenges of rejuvenating it today are considerable. The river, which was once a lifeline for the region, is now a near-dead water body, plagued by severe contamination and an ineffective administrative framework.

Amid claims and counterclaims between Delhi and Haryana, trying to pin the blame on each other for the deteriorating quality of river water in their respective states, an objective analysis of the problem is essential to chalk out a lasting strategy to clean the river. For almost 30 years now, the two neighbouring states (Haryana and Delhi) have been squabbling over sharing of the river. Former Delhi CM Atishi had accused Haryana of “water terrorism”.

Tackling the real issue

Experts and civic authorities have cited the STPs not functioning up to the desired standards, untapped drains discharging effluents directly into the Yamuna, the lack of focus on alternative nature-based solutions, the construction and urbanisation on its banks that have led to an overall reduction of freshwater, and the tussle between the Lieutenant Governor (L-G) and the Delhi government among the major issues.

A case in point

An independent study conducted by India Today underscored the changing Biological Oxygen Demand (BOD) as Yamuna traverses through the city. To assess the pollution levels in the Yamuna, India Today’s Data Intelligence Unit analysed data from the Delhi Pollution Control Committee and the Delhi Jal Board. The figures reveal that when the Yamuna enters Delhi at Palla, the border between Delhi and Haryana, its Biological Oxygen Demand (BOD) level stands at 4 mg/l. But by the time it reaches Wazirabad, the BOD level rises to 6 mg/l. Further downstream, the pollution worsens significantly with the BOD level surging to 51 mg/l at ISBT Bridge and 66 mg/l at ITO Bridge. A river is considered clean only if its BOD level is 3 mg/l or lower, which none of the Delhi centres manage to meet.

Four-pronged strategy to revive a dying river

Days after the BJP formed government in Delhi, Lieutenant Governor Vinai Kumar Saxena rolled out a four-pronged strategy to clean Yamuna in three years. With trash skimmers, weed harvesters, and a dredge utility craft, the cleaning operation started in late Fenruary, according media reports.

Under the four-pronged strategy, the authority concerned first starts with the trash, garbage, and silt in the river stream. Simultaneously, cleaning operations in the Najafgarh drain, supplementary drain, and all other major drains begin. “At the same time, a daily watch on the existing STPs (sewage treatment plants) in terms of their capacity and output will be maintained, and a time-bound plan in terms of construction of new STPs/DSTPs (decentralised (sewage treatment plants) to meet the actual shortfall of treating about 400 MGD (million gallons a day) of sewer will be put in place and operationalised,” informed the L-G House.