Delhi Yamuna River Turns Toxic Despite Crores Spent On Cleanup
As families gather for rituals by the Yamuna River at Delhi’s Jagatpur Ghat, unaware that just a few kilometres downstream, the water turns black, foul-smelling, and unfit for use. The contrast highlights the deep crisis facing the city’s iconic river, which continues to bear the burden of growing urban pollution, untreated sewage, and years of failed rejuvenation efforts.
Despite public concern and repeated state-level campaigns, the river’s condition near Kashmere Gate reflects the capital’s worsening environmental neglect. Plastic waste, chemical runoff, and domestic garbage choke the Yamuna, severely impacting livelihoods, biodiversity, and public health. Boat operators along the stretch say their incomes have halved as the river loses its charm. Migratory birds that once visited during winter now avoid the site, indicating a broader ecological breakdown. Experts warn against the common belief that the river is clean upstream of the Wazirabad barrage. According to environmental researchers, the real damage begins even before the river enters Delhi. Polluted water from Haryana’s industrial belts—particularly Sonipat, Panipat, Karnal, and Yamuna Nagar—flows unchecked into the Yamuna through major drains, accelerating its degradation before it even reaches the national capital.
Unregulated sand mining and the diversion of river water for irrigation and industrial use in Haryana and Uttar Pradesh have further reduced the river’s lean season flow. This means the Yamuna lacks the natural dilution capacity it once had, rendering Delhi’s pollution control efforts largely ineffective. Experts argue that without upstream cooperation, any localised cleanup effort will be short-lived. In response, the Delhi government has earmarked Rs 500 crore in its 2025–26 budget for modernising sewage infrastructure. A significant Rs 200 crore will go towards the Najafgarh drain, one of the largest contributors to river pollution. Additionally, 18 of Delhi’s 37 sewage treatment plants (STPs) are being upgraded, while three new STPs are under construction at Sonia Vihar, Delhi Gate, and Okhla. Once operational, these are expected to boost treatment capacity by 47 million gallons per day.
Yet, despite these investments, untreated waste continues to pour into the river. Delhi’s Water Minister has ordered a third-party audit of all STPs to assess actual performance and identify system bottlenecks. The review is seen as a step toward greater accountability, but observers note that structural reforms must follow for long-term impact. Environmentalists insist that Delhi alone cannot shoulder the responsibility of reviving the Yamuna. Without a coordinated inter-state approach that restores environmental flows and curbs upstream exploitation, the river’s future remains in jeopardy. For now, the Yamuna’s dark waters are a stark reflection of systemic failure, one that demands urgent and collective correction.
