Saving the Yamuna: Going Beyond River Policing

Saving the Yamuna: Going Beyond River Policing

The Yamuna is the largest tributary river of the Holy Ganges. It originates from the Yamunotri glacier located at a height of 6387 metres on the south-west slopes of the Banderpooch peak in Uttarakhand. It is originating from the Lower Himalayas. The Yamuna travels across a length of 1376 km and it has a drainage system of 366,223 square km before it unites with the Ganges at Triveni Sangam in Uttar Pradesh.

The Yamuna River crosses Uttarakhand, Haryana, Uttar Pradesh, Himachal Pradesh and Delhi. It meets the largest tributary called Tons in the Himalayan state of Uttarakhand. The danger of contaminating the waters of the Yamuna has always been high because it passes through the capital city. What is more, the fears are totally justified. The discharge of waste water through a total of 15 drains in the area between the Okhla and Wazirabad barrages has destroyed the Yamuna’s purity and cleanliness. The river is so polluted that it is toxic.

In fact, the Yamuna now resembles a sewage drain with biochemical oxygen demand values from 14 to 28 mg/1 and heavy contamination. The problem is severe because the Yamuna is now the dumping ground of household as well as municipal disposal units. What is worse is that soil erosion along its banks due to extensive farming practices and extensive use of chemicals and pesticides has contaminated the river completely.

It is choked with toxic chemicals and plastic bags. The water is so polluted that it is lethal for health if one were to take a dip in the Yamuna at Delhi. While the recent attempts to establish a river policing unit which is dedicated to the Yamuna River is a good move, it is not the only effort needed in this direction. Apart from declaring the Yamuna stretch of 52 km in Uttar Pradesh and Delhi as a conservation zone, another important step can be to ensure the implementation of the orders.

Too often, what happens is that the bigwigs make regulations which are not implemented well. The result is that despite rules, there are lawbreakers. This can undo the effect of framing the regulations in the first place. What good will a river policing unit do unless it has dedicated personnel who understand the value of conserving the river? Staff for the unit should be handpicked based not only on their awareness about ecological conservation, but also their dedication to the cause of saving the Yamuna.

Developments encroaching on the flood plains are part of the problem. What is worse is the callous attitude of the people. At festivals, people dump plastic bags full of flower garlands and statues into the river. Industrial units continue to do unlimited damage as well. Some move should be made to stop both these parties before pandemonium ensues and the river is polluted beyond repair.

Development of green belts on the embankments will be in name only unless steps are taken to enforce the regulations. Worse is the situation when these green belts are often auctioned off to developers at later dates or become a site for so-called infrastructural projects. Controlled dredging is a good idea. Controlling sewage pollution is an even better idea. Agricultural activity on the floodplains should be regulated so that chemicals such as toxic fertilisers and pesticides are not released into the river through this means.

Public awareness programs can only be successful if there are incentives for people to join in. People need to take pride in the river and its rich historical and cultural legacy. One should not be like the like the king Dushyanta in Kalidas’s classic play Abhijñanasakuntalam who forgets all about the promise made to Shakuntala. If any attempt to save the river is made, it should be a wholehearted attempt that continues regardless of who is at the political helm.

World leaders have realized the importance of protecting natural resources. After all, becoming a superpower is also about protecting the ecology of the country and preventing the pollution and contamination of its river. The Yamuna is a life saver in many states through which it flows. It satisfies the thirst of the land as well as the people. Neglecting the Yamuna will be like a crime that is committed not only against one river, but against millions of Indians as well.