Yamuna River: Why Delhi’s Lifeline Remains Polluted and Dying Despite Successive Government’s Cleanup Promises
The Yamuna occupied centre stage in the campaigning during the recent Assembly election in Delhi. All the parties called attention to the extreme levels of pollution in the river, lamenting that the city’s lifeline had turned into a dark, toxic stream. They blamed each other for the problem, with each party making familiar promises to clean it.
Historically, the Yamuna was never Delhi’s water line. Ironically, its condition began to worsen after it became the city’s source of drinking water.
According to the heritage and conservation activist Sohail Hashmi, none of the seven capital cities that came up in medieval Delhi depended on the river for drinking water. Stepwells and wells provided the resource. In fact, it was believed that the river water in Delhi was noxious, and this was perhaps why Ferozeshah Tughlaq began digging a canal to bring the river’s water from Hisar in Haryana to Firozabad, his capital. The project was later completed by the Mughal Emperor Shah Jahan, and the canal flowed through the Red Fort and Chandni Chowk. However, people continued to depend on wells for their drinking water.
Also Read | And unquiet flows the Yamuna
“The water in the Yamuna in Delhi was not believed to be potable. It was not used for drinking but only for other purposes such as irrigation, fishing, or bathing. In Delhi, the Yamuna flows over a rock bed of quartz. There is mica and silica in quartz. The people at that time would not have known this, but they would have noticed that those who drank the water suffered from ailments,” said Hashmi.
According to Hashmi, the Yamuna in Delhi was tapped for drinking water only around 1881, when the British sank wells into the riverbed. In 1890, the British introduced the sewerage system, and untreated sewage began to be pumped into the river downstream of the Chandrawal waterworks that provided drinking water. Thus began the pollution of the Yamuna. While it came to be described as Delhi’s lifeline, it was now a dead river, highly toxic, and incapable of supporting even aquatic life as it flows through the capital.
Pollution and politics
Pollution of the Yamuna has always been a prominent issue in Delhi’s politics. In election manifestos, political parties pledge to clean the river, and successive governments have unveiled plans to rid the river of pollution. Shortly after the new Chief Minister, Rekha Gupta, and her Cabinet colleagues were sworn in on February 20, they performed an aarti on the banks of the river. It was a symbolic event, high on optics and in keeping with the government’s vow to clean the Yamuna.
A few days earlier, Lt Governor Vinai Kumar Saxena had announced a plan to clean the river in three years. The Yamuna also figured in a big way in Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s speech on February 8 to mark the BJP’s victory in Delhi. He raised the slogan, “Yamuna Maiya Ki Jai” (Hail Mother Yamuna) and said he had taken a pledge to make the river the pride of Delhi.
Devotees enter the waters of river Yamuna covered in toxic foam from effluent discharge on the occasion of the Hindu festival of ‘Chhath Puja’ at Noida on November 07, 2024.
| Photo Credit:
Shashi Shekhar Kashyap
In 2015, former Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal too had performed Yamuna aarti soon after taking charge. He too had declared that his government would clean up the river within five years. During the campaign for the recent election, he accepted his failure to fulfil the promise.
THE YAMUNA ACTION PLAN
The Yamuna Action Plan I (YAP I) began in 1993 and continued until 2003.
YAP II, which began in 2004 and was to be completed by 2008, was extended to 2013.
As part of YAP I and II, a total expenditure of Rs.1,514.42 crore was incurred on sanctioned schemes in three States: Delhi, Uttar Pradesh, and Haryana.
YAP III was launched in 2012 at an estimated cost of Rs.1,656 crore.
Under the Namami Gange Project, between 2015 and October 2022, 26 projects were sanctioned at a cost of Rs.4,438.39 crore, including to build a sewage treatment plant with a capacity of 1,837 million litres per day (MLD) in the Yamuna basin covering Himachal Pradesh, Haryana, Delhi, and Uttar Pradesh.
As much as Rs.6,856.91 crore was spent over five years from 2017 to 2021 to clean the Yamuna as it flows through Delhi*.
Note: The Yamuna Action Plan is a bilateral project between India and Japan.
Source: Union Environment Ministry, Union Jal Shakti Ministry, Delhi government * Response of the Environment Department of the Delhi government dated March 22, 2023, shared in the Delhi Assembly
The Yamuna in urban Delhi is 22 km long. That is only 2 per cent of the river’s entire length, but it is in this tiny stretch that over 80 per cent of the pollution happens. Untreated sewage and industrial effluents are dumped into the river during its passage through the capital, making it dark, toxic, and foul smelling.
The extent of pollution
According to a January 2025 report by the Delhi Pollution Control Committee, the biochemical oxygen demand of the river is 70 mg/l, whereas it should be 3 mg/l or less. The faecal coliform level of the water is 84,00,000 MPN/100 ml, while it should not exceed 2,500 units, and the desirable number is 500. The dissolved oxygen level is 0, whereas it should be more than 5 mg/l. With no dissolved oxygen, the river is biologically dead.
According to a Parliamentary Standing Committee on Water Resources report released on February 6, 2024, and titled Review of Upper Yamuna River Cleaning Projects up to Delhi and Riverbed Management in Delhi, of 33 locations monitored between 2021 and 2023, the water quality in 23 locations did not comply with the primary criteria required for bath water. High levels of metals such as lead, copper, and zinc were also found in various sludge samples, which poses severe health hazards.
Successive governments in Delhi and at the Centre have made and initiated plans to clean the Yamuna, spending thousands of crores of rupees. According to the Environment Department of the Delhi government, Rs.6,856.91 crore was spent over five years from 2017 to 2021 to clean the Yamuna. More than Rs.1,500 crore was spent as part of the Yamuna Action Plans (YAP) I and II, implemented by the Centre between 1993 and 2013. YAP III, launched in 2012 at an estimated cost of Rs.1,656 crore, is currently underway.
Under the Namami Gange Project, between 2015 and 2022, 26 projects were sanctioned at a cost of Rs.4,438.39 crore for creating or refurbishing sewage treatment plants (STPs) on the Yamuna basin, covering Himachal Pradesh, Haryana, Delhi, and Uttar Pradesh.
Actions and results
According to a progress report of the Delhi Pollution Control Committee (DPCC) submitted to the National Green Tribunal (NGT) in February 2024, Delhi has 37 STPs, which treat around 70 per cent of the wastewater generated in the city. The quantity of sewage generated in 2024 was 3,600 million litres per day (MLD), the installed capacity of the STPs was 3,033 MLD, and the utilisation of the STPs was 2,574 MLD. However, the DPCC also found that only 14 of the 37 STPs met the prescribed standards.
The Parliamentary Standing Committee report on water resources observed that only 17 of the 28 approved industrial clusters in Delhi are connected to effluent treatment plants, and only 32 per cent of their capacity is utilised.
That the Yamuna in Delhi is at its most polluted at present is evidence enough of the ineffectiveness of the steps taken by successive governments and their failure to clean the river despite the huge amounts of money spent.
Workers cleaning the Yamuna water in ITO area. With trash skimmers, weed harvesters, and a dredge utility craft, the cleaning operation started on February 16, 2025.
| Photo Credit:
Sushil Kumar Verma
The NGT has in various orders over the past decade expressed anguish over the government’s failing to implement its directives with regard to cleaning the Yamuna. These directives pertain to the capacity of STPs and the quality of treated wastewater, areas that have so far not been covered by the sewerage network, measures for the reuse of treated wastewater, and rejuvenation and restoration of the Yamuna floodplain and associated wetlands.
Garbage in, garbage out
According to Susmita Sengupta, senior programme manager, Water and Wastewater, Centre for Science and Environment, the efforts will not succeed unless the government accepts that the majority of the untreated sewage going into the river originates from unauthorised colonies and takes steps to deal with it.
“A vast population of Delhi lives in colonies that are not connected to the sewerage network. The toilets in these habitations are either directly connected to drains that empty into the river, or the waste from the toilets is carried by tankers that then dump it into the drains. So, we have a situation where treated water from the STPs is being released into the same channels that receive untreated waste. This effectively negates the cost and effort of cleaning,” said Sengupta.
HOW POLLUTED IS THE YAMUNA IN DELHI?
Dissolved oxygen, the prescribed level of which should be greater than 5 mg/l if life is to be sustained, is virtually non-existent.
Biochemical oxygen demand: 70 mg/l (should be 3 mg/l or less) Faecal coliform level: 84,00,000 MPN/100 ml (should be less than 2,500 MPN/100 ml)
28 industrial clusters in Delhi discharge wastewater into the Yamuna. Of these, only 17 are connected to common effluent treatment plants.
Out of 22 drains that empty into the Yamuna, only 9 have been tapped, and the remaining 13 are still discharging a huge quantity of sewage (2,976.4 MLD).
The Najafgarh and Shahdara drains, which are canals that discharge a large volume of sewage (507.4 MGD), have encroachments along them. This prevents the construction of interceptor sewers that would transport raw sewage to treatment plants.
Between 2021 and 2023, out of 33 monitored locations, the water quality in 23 locations did not comply with the primary water quality criteria for outdoor bathing.
MPN: Most probable number
MGD: Million gallons per day
Source: Orders of the National Green Tribunal, Report of the Standing Committee on Water Resources, Delhi Pollution Control Committee’s monthly report for January 2025
She said the government should focus on ensuring that all desludging tankers are registered and GPS-tagged so that their movement is monitored. They should not be allowed to dump untreated sewage into the drains but take it to treatment plants.
What the Yamuna in Delhi desperately needs, according to Himanshu Thakkar of South Asia Network on Dams, Rivers and People, is more water flowing into it. “For most of the year, the river during its Delhi stint just does not get enough water. The government has to ensure that enough fresh water flows into the Yamuna downstream from the Wazirabad barrage, where the river enters Delhi.”
Thakkar said the government would also have to ensure that all treated wastewater is reused and not pumped back into the river. He also called for rainwater harvesting and rejuvenation of local water bodies. These efforts, he said, would reduce the demand for fresh water from the Yamuna, leaving more water in it.
Need for integrated water management
“There are many pieces to the Yamuna puzzle. A basic requirement to having a holistic approach to cleaning the river is a Delhi water policy. It will take a comprehensive look at the situation and provide a road map to clean the river,” Thakkar said.
Lt Governor Saxena has announced a four-pronged plan to clean the Yamuna within three years: removing trash and silt from the river; cleaning drains that empty into the river; a daily watch on the capacity and output of STPs; and a time-bound plan for construction of new treatment plants.
While the Lt Governor’s initiatives are a step in the right direction, according to S.K. Sarkar, Distinguished Fellow at The Energy and Resources Institute and former Secretary, Union Ministry of Water Resources, it is difficult to provide a time frame to achieve the desired outcome.“Given the multiple factors involved, setting a time limit for resolution of various pending issues and conforming to the pollution standards is very difficult,” he said.
Also Read | Ganga asks to be left alone
According to Sarkar, multiple agencies are investigating different aspects of the Yamuna’s pollution, and a coordinated mechanism with a clear, actionable agenda is needed. He said an independent regulatory authority should oversee integrated water management, and emphasised that the Centre must play a role in overall monitoring of the cleaning efforts.
“The Centre’s role in overall monitoring for improvement of water quality of rivers in consultation and cooperation with States has been recognised, and various remedial measures have been initiated. The National Mission for Clean Ganga is in charge of cleaning the Ganga. A similar step may be taken for the Yamuna as well,” Sarkar said.
Hashmi said it was high time today’s leaders went beyond politicking over the river and made a sincere effort to revive it. “This should not just be about getting votes and winning elections. The lives of millions of people are involved. It is about our future generations,” he said.
The Yamuna occupied centre stage in the campaigning during the recent Assembly election in Delhi. All the parties called attention to the extreme levels of pollution in the river, lamenting that the city’s lifeline had turned into a dark, toxic stream. They blamed each other for the problem, with each party making familiar promises to clean it.
Historically, the Yamuna was never Delhi’s water line. Ironically, its condition began to worsen after it became the city’s source of drinking water.
According to the heritage and conservation activist Sohail Hashmi, none of the seven capital cities that came up in medieval Delhi depended on the river for drinking water. Stepwells and wells provided the resource. In fact, it was believed that the river water in Delhi was noxious, and this was perhaps why Ferozeshah Tughlaq began digging a canal to bring the river’s water from Hisar in Haryana to Firozabad, his capital. The project was later completed by the Mughal Emperor Shah Jahan, and the canal flowed through the Red Fort and Chandni Chowk. However, people continued to depend on wells for their drinking water.
Also Read | And unquiet flows the Yamuna
“The water in the Yamuna in Delhi was not believed to be potable. It was not used for drinking but only for other purposes such as irrigation, fishing, or bathing. In Delhi, the Yamuna flows over a rock bed of quartz. There is mica and silica in quartz. The people at that time would not have known this, but they would have noticed that those who drank the water suffered from ailments,” said Hashmi.
According to Hashmi, the Yamuna in Delhi was tapped for drinking water only around 1881, when the British sank wells into the riverbed. In 1890, the British introduced the sewerage system, and untreated sewage began to be pumped into the river downstream of the Chandrawal waterworks that provided drinking water. Thus began the pollution of the Yamuna. While it came to be described as Delhi’s lifeline, it was now a dead river, highly toxic, and incapable of supporting even aquatic life as it flows through the capital.
Pollution and politics
Pollution of the Yamuna has always been a prominent issue in Delhi’s politics. In election manifestos, political parties pledge to clean the river, and successive governments have unveiled plans to rid the river of pollution. Shortly after the new Chief Minister, Rekha Gupta, and her Cabinet colleagues were sworn in on February 20, they performed an aarti on the banks of the river. It was a symbolic event, high on optics and in keeping with the government’s vow to clean the Yamuna.
A few days earlier, Lt Governor Vinai Kumar Saxena had announced a plan to clean the river in three years. The Yamuna also figured in a big way in Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s speech on February 8 to mark the BJP’s victory in Delhi. He raised the slogan, “Yamuna Maiya Ki Jai” (Hail Mother Yamuna) and said he had taken a pledge to make the river the pride of Delhi.
Devotees enter the waters of river Yamuna covered in toxic foam from effluent discharge on the occasion of the Hindu festival of ‘Chhath Puja’ at Noida on November 07, 2024.
| Photo Credit:
Shashi Shekhar Kashyap
In 2015, former Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal too had performed Yamuna aarti soon after taking charge. He too had declared that his government would clean up the river within five years. During the campaign for the recent election, he accepted his failure to fulfil the promise.
THE YAMUNA ACTION PLAN
The Yamuna Action Plan I (YAP I) began in 1993 and continued until 2003.
YAP II, which began in 2004 and was to be completed by 2008, was extended to 2013.
As part of YAP I and II, a total expenditure of Rs.1,514.42 crore was incurred on sanctioned schemes in three States: Delhi, Uttar Pradesh, and Haryana.
YAP III was launched in 2012 at an estimated cost of Rs.1,656 crore.
Under the Namami Gange Project, between 2015 and October 2022, 26 projects were sanctioned at a cost of Rs.4,438.39 crore, including to build a sewage treatment plant with a capacity of 1,837 million litres per day (MLD) in the Yamuna basin covering Himachal Pradesh, Haryana, Delhi, and Uttar Pradesh.
As much as Rs.6,856.91 crore was spent over five years from 2017 to 2021 to clean the Yamuna as it flows through Delhi*.
Note: The Yamuna Action Plan is a bilateral project between India and Japan.
Source: Union Environment Ministry, Union Jal Shakti Ministry, Delhi government * Response of the Environment Department of the Delhi government dated March 22, 2023, shared in the Delhi Assembly
The Yamuna in urban Delhi is 22 km long. That is only 2 per cent of the river’s entire length, but it is in this tiny stretch that over 80 per cent of the pollution happens. Untreated sewage and industrial effluents are dumped into the river during its passage through the capital, making it dark, toxic, and foul smelling.
The extent of pollution
According to a January 2025 report by the Delhi Pollution Control Committee, the biochemical oxygen demand of the river is 70 mg/l, whereas it should be 3 mg/l or less. The faecal coliform level of the water is 84,00,000 MPN/100 ml, while it should not exceed 2,500 units, and the desirable number is 500. The dissolved oxygen level is 0, whereas it should be more than 5 mg/l. With no dissolved oxygen, the river is biologically dead.
According to a Parliamentary Standing Committee on Water Resources report released on February 6, 2024, and titled Review of Upper Yamuna River Cleaning Projects up to Delhi and Riverbed Management in Delhi, of 33 locations monitored between 2021 and 2023, the water quality in 23 locations did not comply with the primary criteria required for bath water. High levels of metals such as lead, copper, and zinc were also found in various sludge samples, which poses severe health hazards.
Successive governments in Delhi and at the Centre have made and initiated plans to clean the Yamuna, spending thousands of crores of rupees. According to the Environment Department of the Delhi government, Rs.6,856.91 crore was spent over five years from 2017 to 2021 to clean the Yamuna. More than Rs.1,500 crore was spent as part of the Yamuna Action Plans (YAP) I and II, implemented by the Centre between 1993 and 2013. YAP III, launched in 2012 at an estimated cost of Rs.1,656 crore, is currently underway.
Under the Namami Gange Project, between 2015 and 2022, 26 projects were sanctioned at a cost of Rs.4,438.39 crore for creating or refurbishing sewage treatment plants (STPs) on the Yamuna basin, covering Himachal Pradesh, Haryana, Delhi, and Uttar Pradesh.
Actions and results
According to a progress report of the Delhi Pollution Control Committee (DPCC) submitted to the National Green Tribunal (NGT) in February 2024, Delhi has 37 STPs, which treat around 70 per cent of the wastewater generated in the city. The quantity of sewage generated in 2024 was 3,600 million litres per day (MLD), the installed capacity of the STPs was 3,033 MLD, and the utilisation of the STPs was 2,574 MLD. However, the DPCC also found that only 14 of the 37 STPs met the prescribed standards.
The Parliamentary Standing Committee report on water resources observed that only 17 of the 28 approved industrial clusters in Delhi are connected to effluent treatment plants, and only 32 per cent of their capacity is utilised.
That the Yamuna in Delhi is at its most polluted at present is evidence enough of the ineffectiveness of the steps taken by successive governments and their failure to clean the river despite the huge amounts of money spent.
Workers cleaning the Yamuna water in ITO area. With trash skimmers, weed harvesters, and a dredge utility craft, the cleaning operation started on February 16, 2025.
| Photo Credit:
Sushil Kumar Verma
The NGT has in various orders over the past decade expressed anguish over the government’s failing to implement its directives with regard to cleaning the Yamuna. These directives pertain to the capacity of STPs and the quality of treated wastewater, areas that have so far not been covered by the sewerage network, measures for the reuse of treated wastewater, and rejuvenation and restoration of the Yamuna floodplain and associated wetlands.
Garbage in, garbage out
According to Susmita Sengupta, senior programme manager, Water and Wastewater, Centre for Science and Environment, the efforts will not succeed unless the government accepts that the majority of the untreated sewage going into the river originates from unauthorised colonies and takes steps to deal with it.
“A vast population of Delhi lives in colonies that are not connected to the sewerage network. The toilets in these habitations are either directly connected to drains that empty into the river, or the waste from the toilets is carried by tankers that then dump it into the drains. So, we have a situation where treated water from the STPs is being released into the same channels that receive untreated waste. This effectively negates the cost and effort of cleaning,” said Sengupta.
HOW POLLUTED IS THE YAMUNA IN DELHI?
Dissolved oxygen, the prescribed level of which should be greater than 5 mg/l if life is to be sustained, is virtually non-existent.
Biochemical oxygen demand: 70 mg/l (should be 3 mg/l or less) Faecal coliform level: 84,00,000 MPN/100 ml (should be less than 2,500 MPN/100 ml)
28 industrial clusters in Delhi discharge wastewater into the Yamuna. Of these, only 17 are connected to common effluent treatment plants.
Out of 22 drains that empty into the Yamuna, only 9 have been tapped, and the remaining 13 are still discharging a huge quantity of sewage (2,976.4 MLD).
The Najafgarh and Shahdara drains, which are canals that discharge a large volume of sewage (507.4 MGD), have encroachments along them. This prevents the construction of interceptor sewers that would transport raw sewage to treatment plants.
Between 2021 and 2023, out of 33 monitored locations, the water quality in 23 locations did not comply with the primary water quality criteria for outdoor bathing.
MPN: Most probable number
MGD: Million gallons per day
Source: Orders of the National Green Tribunal, Report of the Standing Committee on Water Resources, Delhi Pollution Control Committee’s monthly report for January 2025
She said the government should focus on ensuring that all desludging tankers are registered and GPS-tagged so that their movement is monitored. They should not be allowed to dump untreated sewage into the drains but take it to treatment plants.
What the Yamuna in Delhi desperately needs, according to Himanshu Thakkar of South Asia Network on Dams, Rivers and People, is more water flowing into it. “For most of the year, the river during its Delhi stint just does not get enough water. The government has to ensure that enough fresh water flows into the Yamuna downstream from the Wazirabad barrage, where the river enters Delhi.”
Thakkar said the government would also have to ensure that all treated wastewater is reused and not pumped back into the river. He also called for rainwater harvesting and rejuvenation of local water bodies. These efforts, he said, would reduce the demand for fresh water from the Yamuna, leaving more water in it.
Need for integrated water management
“There are many pieces to the Yamuna puzzle. A basic requirement to having a holistic approach to cleaning the river is a Delhi water policy. It will take a comprehensive look at the situation and provide a road map to clean the river,” Thakkar said.
Lt Governor Saxena has announced a four-pronged plan to clean the Yamuna within three years: removing trash and silt from the river; cleaning drains that empty into the river; a daily watch on the capacity and output of STPs; and a time-bound plan for construction of new treatment plants.
While the Lt Governor’s initiatives are a step in the right direction, according to S.K. Sarkar, Distinguished Fellow at The Energy and Resources Institute and former Secretary, Union Ministry of Water Resources, it is difficult to provide a time frame to achieve the desired outcome.“Given the multiple factors involved, setting a time limit for resolution of various pending issues and conforming to the pollution standards is very difficult,” he said.
Also Read | Ganga asks to be left alone
According to Sarkar, multiple agencies are investigating different aspects of the Yamuna’s pollution, and a coordinated mechanism with a clear, actionable agenda is needed. He said an independent regulatory authority should oversee integrated water management, and emphasised that the Centre must play a role in overall monitoring of the cleaning efforts.
“The Centre’s role in overall monitoring for improvement of water quality of rivers in consultation and cooperation with States has been recognised, and various remedial measures have been initiated. The National Mission for Clean Ganga is in charge of cleaning the Ganga. A similar step may be taken for the Yamuna as well,” Sarkar said.
Hashmi said it was high time today’s leaders went beyond politicking over the river and made a sincere effort to revive it. “This should not just be about getting votes and winning elections. The lives of millions of people are involved. It is about our future generations,” he said.
