The Yamuna is one of the most polluted rivers in the country; it is more than 1,300 km long. Yamuna river provides water to more than half of the country’s capital Delhi. While the Director-General of the National Mission for Clean Ganga (NMCG), G. Ashok Kumar, said that 18 drains carry dirty water in the Yamuna. Now we are working on tapping these drains and converting the wastewater into Sewage Treatment Plant (STP).
Now that sewage treatment plants have been set up, we can divert the dirty water flowing to these plants. The treated water from the STP will then be mixed in the river so that the river can also float. He said that no dirty water would come in Yamuna River until December, and its flow would also improve.
Yamuna water will be suitable for bathing.
NMCG Director General G. Ashok Kumar said that we would also ensure water in the Yamuna for bathing by then. Also, once the dirty water stops flowing into the river, the next step would be to maintain the minimum water flow in the Yamuna to ensure its cleanliness. Only two per cent or 22 km of Yamuna falls in Delhi, but 98 per cent of the pollution in the Yamuna comes from here due to effluents or sewage from factories.
I was checking other sources of pollution as well.
According to the Central Pollution Control Board (CPCB), Delhi generates 3,800 million litres of sewage. The Director-General said that NMCG is also investigating other sources of pollution in the Yamuna. Like foam is also produced in the river. We are also trying to see the Dhobi Ghats, through which a lot of soap is coming into the water. He said that NMCG is starting Namami Gange-Yamuna of the Delhi region, which will focus on cleaning the Yamuna river.
