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The quality of water in the Yamuna River in Delhi has declined sharply over the last month, with faecal coliform count and biological oxygen demand (BOD) going to dangerous levels in February, a Delhi Pollution Control Committee (DPCC) report stated.
The February 28 report showed the faecal coliform count in Asgarpur, through which the river flows out of Delhi, to have reached 16 million units per 100 milliliters—6,400 times more than the maximum limit prescribed by the Central Pollution Control Board (CPCB). This was the highest such contamination since December 2020.
BOD levels further deteriorated, with Asgarpur registering 72 mg/l, 24 times the tolerable limit of 3 mg/l. The dissolved oxygen (DO) content, essential for aquatic life, dropped to nil at the ISBT bridge and did not rise throughout the river till it left Delhi.
Causes and the political blame game
The report highlights the continuing problem of untreated sewage and industrial effluent churning up the Yamuna. Experts indicate that the increase in faecal coliform levels signals a huge influx of untreated wastewater.
The poor quality of water has become a hot political topic. AAP leader and Delhi Chief Minister Rekha Gupta, in the run-up to the Delhi assembly polls, blamed the BJP government of Haryana for discharging contaminants into the river. The BJP retaliated by accusing AAP of not cleaning the river even after being in power for more than a decade.
Cleanup efforts and proposed solutions
On February 16, Delhi Lieutenant Governor VK Saxena initiated a cleanup drive, using trash skimmers, weed harvesters, and dredging machines. On March 11, the Inland Waterways Authority of India (IWAI) and the Delhi government signed an MoU to launch a water ferry service upstream of Wazirabad.
Chief Minister Gupta vowed to make the Yamuna clean within three years, hinting at the deployment of the territorial army if needed. Experts advise, though, that without proper sewage treatment, the effort is bound to fail.
Activists stress the importance of improved sewage treatment plants (STPs) and proper wastewater management. “We need to trap and treat wastewater before it goes into the river,” said Yamuna activist Pankaj Kumar. Unless these systemic problems are tackled, the Yamuna’s pollution problem is not going to get any better.
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