Wazirabad to Okhla stretch of Yamuna accounts for 76% of river’s pollution

NEW DELHI: A small stretch Yamuna river covering less than two percent accounts for 76 per cent of the river’s pollution, according to a monitoring committee overseeing its cleaning.

The committee said that the river is “fighting to stay alive”. It would not be possible to rejuvenate the river unless minimum environmental flow is provided as it is “virtually reduced to a trickle and remains dry in some stretches for almost nine months of the year”.

Justice AK Goel, Chairperson, National Green Tribunal (NGT) formed the monitoring committee in July comprising of BS Sajwan, retired expert member and Shailaja Chandra, former Delhi chief secretary. He directed them to the submit an action plan and detailed report on cleaning of the river by December 31. The committee submitted the details to the Delhi government.

The action plan mentions, “Although the Yamuna river flows only for 54 kilometres from Palla to Badarpur through Delhi, the 22 kilometre stretch from Wazirabad to Okhla, which is less than 2 per cent of the river’s length of 1370 kilometres from Yamunotri to Allahabad, accounts for about 76 per cent of the pollution level in the river”.

The two per cent stretch from Wazirabad to Okhla sees maximum discharge of untreated industrial and domestic wastes.

The committee suggested that a team of scientists be formed from Central Pollution Control Board (CPCB), Delhi Pollution Control Committee (DPCC) and other institutions like IIT Delhi or National Environmental Engineering Research Institute (NEERI) to carry out inspections and submit reports to it for remedial action.

It further said that the team can look into the risks and benefits of an alternative way of routing the same quantity of water which can help in reducing the pollution level.

The committee recommended a mechanism to be worked out jointly with DPCC and CPCB to install an online system for quality testing of water in Yamuna at Palla and Wazirabad.

It said, “Not only standard parameters would be included but also ammonia because this is brought up as a recurrent problem which impacts drinking water supply to Delhi.”

The monitoring committee raised objection to the capacity utilisation of common effluent treatment plant (CETP) which is as low as 25 percent.

Delhi has 28 industrial clusters. 17 of these are connected to 13 CETPs and the remaining 11 clusters are not connected to any CETP.

The direct discharge of completely unregulated waste from industries and residences into the river is also a matter of concern.

“The industrial pollutants when mixed with domestic sewage are not amendable to treatment even by the STPs due to limitation of treatment technology,” the committee rued.

Environmental experts raised concern over the report of the committee, calling it a matter of great shame and regret for Delhiites.