Pollution Levels In Yamuna Go Up Again As Delhi Eases Lockdown

The Yamuna river that had begun to heal as fewer pollutants were being let out in the river amid the lockdown following the COVID-19 pandemic, is once again getting back to being polluted.

With the ease in restrictions, the pollutant level has spiked so drastically that three water treatment plants stopped functioning a few days back.

The nationwide lockdown imposed due to COVID-19 pandemic resulted in the shutting down of industries, thereby creating space for rivers to rejuvenate.

"Many industries and offices are closed due to the lockdown these days and therefore the Yamuna is looking cleaner these days. The stoppage of industrial pollutants and industrial waste has definitely had a positive effect on water quality. We will conduct testing of the water to ascertain the percentage of improvement in the quality," Vice-chairman of the Delhi Jal Board, Raghav Chadha had said.

However, all this could not last for long. The Yamuna travels about 22 kilometres from Waziravad Barrage in Delhi to Okhla Barrage and in this distance, about 22 drains fall into the Yamuna which pollutes the river by 80 per cent. Since the restrictions and the lockdown have been relaxed, water near the bank of Yamuna river near ITO has again contaminated with chemical pollution, India Today reported.

The Delhi government has made an assessment of the causes of the pollution in the Yamuna river that was cleared during the lockdown and contaminated again during Unlock.

"It was not possible to prepare for Yamuna cleaning during the lockdown because everything was closed," Delhi Environment minister Gopal Rai said.

The minister also claimed that the government had come up with a plan of setting up treatment plants where the drains enter the Yamuna river. "Our government is fully committed to clean the river Yamuna," he added.

Also Read: Yamuna Heals Amid Coronavirus Pandemic, Survey Shows Improved Water Quality: Delhi Jal Board