Why is River Yamuna so heavily polluted?

Long ago, the Yamuna's waters were pristine blue, but today, the Yamuna is considered one of India’s most polluted rivers. The Yamuna River is particularly polluted downstream of New Delhi, India's capital, which dumps approximately 58% of its waste into the river.

The most pollution comes from Wazirabad, where the Yamuna flows into Delhi.

Causes of yamuna river pollution-

1. Domestic Supplies

According to a report submitted to the Yamuna Pollution Control Committee, by the Delhi Pollution Control Committee and the Central Pollution Control Board (CPCB), at least 90% of domestic wastewater in the city flows into the Yamuna.

Because, the wastewater is primarily from household activities, it contains a high concentration of detergent, laundry chemicals, and phosphate compounds. Because, of the abundance of phosphate, the river is covered in toxic froth.

2. Heavy metal contamination from industries

The catchment area of the River Yamuna in Delhi is densely populated and well-connected by several drains. The major drains that discharge a heavy load of pollutants into the river are the Najafgarh and Shahdara drains.

Rapid urbanization and population growth, which leads to industrialization, pose a significant threat to nearby water bodies from heavy metal pollution. The River Yamuna's water quality monitoring has revealed a significant presence of several heavy metals. Iron (Fe) was found to be the most abundant heavy metal in the River Yamuna water, even exceeding the limit.

Heavy metal levels in water can cause a variety of health problems, including stunted growth and development, cancer, organ damage, nervous system damage, and so on.

3. Untreated Sewage

Every day, more than 800 million litres of largely untreated sewage are pumped into the Yamuna. Every day, 44 million litres of industrial effluent are discharged into the river.

Only 35% of total estimated sewage discharge is treated sewage before being released into the river. The water contains 1.1 billion fecal coliform bacteria per 100 millilitres of water, according to the Central Pollution Board. The bathing standard is 500 coliform bacteria per 100 millilitres.

Despite, the construction of sewage treatment plants (STPs) in various parts of Delhi, treated or partially treated sewage from these STPs is continuously discharged directly, or through carrier drains into the river.

Untreated sewage frequently flows directly into the river in a few locations, due to non-operational STPs caused by power outages, mechanical problems, or maintenance issues, further deteriorating water quality issues.

4. Contamination by toxins

The Central Pollution Control Board (CPCB) discovered that heavy metals such as chromium and iron, increased significantly after immersion.Chromium concentration increased 11 times over the allowable limit of 0.05 mg/L, while iron concentration increased 71 times over the 0.3 mg/L limit.

If the water is not treated, toxins are more likely to enter the food chain through vegetables grown on floodplains. Heavy metal toxicity can harm the brain, lungs, kidneys, liver, and other vital organs, as well as alter blood composition.

5. Plastic Pollution

The Yamuna has been severely polluted by plastic pollution. Following the 2017 ban on single-use plastics, there has still been widespread use of plastics, as evidenced by plastic production.

Anything from flip-flops to paper products are piled every few feet along the river, and many plastic bags, even recyclable ones, end up in the river.

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