Respite From Pollution! Delhi Promises 'Clean' Yamuna River By December 2022

Delhi can breathe a sigh of relief as a senior official promises clean Yamuna by December-end this year. G Asok Kumar, Director General of the National Mission for Clean Ganga (NMCG), stated that plans are in progress to mitigate the pollution by diverting the dirty water from the river. Also, the NMCG is working towards finding nonpoint polluting sources in the river to nip the persisting problem in the bud.

Yamuna is the country's fourth-largest river that stretches to 1376km. While only 2% of Yamuna falls within New Delhi, the national capital, is responsible for more than 98% of the pollution that is found in the river. Untreated or semi-treated industrial effluents and sewage are found in Yamuna, where the city gets its water supply.

Ensuring Uninterrupted Clean Water Flow

According to NDTV, there are 18 drains through which the dirty water is transferred into the river. Kumar told the news publication about the plan of action, "Now that the sewage treatment plants (STP) are in place, we can divert the dirty water flowing into the river into these plans. The treated water we get from the STPs can then be added to the river to improve its flow. So, by December, no dirty water will be coming into the Yamuna river, and its flow will also see a transformation."

Along with improving the water flow, the NMCG will ensure better bathing and drinking water quality for Delhi to consume. In November 2021, the staggering rise of ammonia levels in the river set off alarm bells as the drinking water supply was disrupted all across the city. A Delhi Jal Board official told The Indian Express last year that the rise in levels will result in byproducts too dangerous to consume.

In light of this, NMCG wants to work on nonpoint pollution sources. "We are also trying to find out about nonpoint sources like those that also cause froth to the river. We are looking into Dhobi Ghats as well, through which a lot of soap is coming into the water," Kumar added. Only time will tell how successful this endeavour will be.

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