A committee of Parliament has said that a part of the Yamuna river in Delhi is very contaminated. The committee said that out of 33 monitoring sites including six in the national capital, 23 sites do not meet primary water quality standards. The Yamuna River flows through an area of ​​40 km in Delhi, which enters Palla from Haryana and leads from Asgarpur to Uttar Pradesh.
The Parliamentary Standing Committee on Water Resources said in its report on Tuesday (March 11, 2025) that the level of Oxygen (DO) in the river, which reflects the capacity of the river, was found to be almost negligible in this part of Delhi.
In its report on the upper Yamuna river cleaning project and river floor management in Delhi, the committee warned that the level of pollution remains worryingly high despite the construction and upgradation of the waterlogging plants (STPs) in Delhi and Uttar Pradesh."Text-Align: justify;"> The committee called for coordinated efforts from all stakeholders to deal with pollution and restore the river conditions. It states that out of 33 monitoring sites, only four in Uttarakhand and four in Himachal Pradesh also meet the quality norms.
Central Pollution Control Board (CPCB) assessed water quality at 33 places between January 2021 and May 2023 with State Pollution Control Boards. The assessment included four major parameters of dissolved oxygen (DO), pH, biochemical oxygen demand (bod) and fecal coliform (FC).
The committee expressed special concern over encroachment on Yamuna floodlines. According to the report, Delhi and Haryana provided information about encroachments, while Uttar Pradesh and Uttarakhand have not yet given full details.
The committee highlighted that the Delhi Development Authority (DDA) has freed about 477.79 hectares of land from encroachment on the banks of submerged areas. However, due to the ongoing trial, some parts of the flood potential area are occupied. According to the report, the debris accumulated at the bottom of the Yamuna river remains a matter of great concern.
A study conducted by the Delhi Irrigation and Flood Control Department in collaboration with CSIR-Niri found that during the pre-monsoon period, a high level of chromium, copper, lead, nickel and zinc was found in the debris samples collected on the top of the old iron bridge, Geeta Colony and DND bridge."Text-Align: justify;"> The committee recommended controlled dredging to remove this poisonous waste and warned that it pose a serious health threat and contributes to spoiling the quality of the river. However, the National Clean Ganga Mission (NMCG) has expressed concern that mass dredging can make the river floor unstable and can cause further damage to the environment.
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