IMPACT OF POLLUTION ON RIVER YAMUNA

INTRODUCTION
River Yamuna with a total length of around 1,370 kilometres (851 mi), is the largest tributary of the river ganga. Its source is at Yamunotri, in the Uttarakhand Himalaya. It flows through the states of Delhi, Haryana and Uttar Pradesh, before merging with the Ganges at Allahabad. Yamuna is one of the most polluted rivers in the world, especially around Delhi, which dumps about 57% of its waste into the river. Way back in December 1994 on the basis of news report on the level of pollution in Yamuna the supreme court has been monitoring the cleaning of the river.

15 years earlier

At present

ECOLOGY
Yamuna supports a wide variety of plant and animal species. The river is home to thousands of resident and migratory birds. . On November 16, 2010 ailing Yamuna proved fatal for aquatic life once again. The death of about 2,000 fish in the river, between Vrindavan and Mathura, has brought the issue of pollution in the Yamuna to centre stage again. The Okhla Bird Sanctuary, spread over four sq. kms on the Yamuna river, is one of the International Bird areas listed by Bird Live International. Thousands of avian migrants waded along with resident water birds. However, there were several species that were not spotted this year.

Pollution in Yamuna River

The Yamuna river passing through 22 km in Delhi was once described as the lifeline of the city, but today it has become one of the dirtiest rivers in the country. The reasons: The Yamunas 22-km stretch in Delhi is barely 2 per cent of the length of the river, but contributes over 70 per cent of the pollution load. There are 17 drains entering Yamuna in Delhi and almost 3,500 million litre of waste water enters Yamuna everyday without any treatment. Encroachment near Yamuna river bank. Cattle wading and dairy waste. Farmhouses illegally occupy Yamuna bank.

EFFECTS OF POLLUTION
The Yamuna is poisoned and so are your vegetables

A recent study conducted by The Energy and Resources Institute (TERI) indicates the presence of heavy metals in the vegetables that are grown with water from the Yamuna, making them potentially hazardous to health. Concentration of heavy metals in water used for irrigation and drinking purposes, and metal contamination in crops grown on the Yamuna basin were seen.

Migratory birds in Okhla Bird Sanctuary near Yamuna river

The depleting water levels of the Yamuna, brought about the twin impact of less water flow into Delhi and a mechanical fault with the Okhla barrage, have had a tragic effect on the fish in the river and on the arrival of migratory birds at the Okhla Bird Sanctuary.

Measures to prevent pollution

Catchment area: Catchment area delineation is an important
component of water quality management. In order to reduce pollutant loadings at an outfall, it is necessary to examine and improve water use practices in the areas where pollutants originate.

Construction of barricades: The drainage systems have to

be so designed as to allow the harvesting of rain water. Construction of barricades along the riverbed will help in prevention of free entry of any canal to the river rather in turn they will diverge to a main canal from where they can flow to the river

Botanical and herbal gardens: Herbal and botanical

gardens should be developed alongside the river bed. These can serve as tourist attractions and can also be helpful to the environment and the pharmaceutical companies.

Finding solutions: River pollution cannot be minimized merely

by diverting the routes of drains carrying wastewaters and/or establishing sewage treatment plants. The required strategy for pollution control should not only be a multi-line approach but also be fool proof.

Initiatives taken:
Major sources: Domestic sewage and Industrial effluent. The Govt. of Delhi has ensured that more than 1200 industrial units have installed effluent treatment plants to treat their industrial wastewater. 11 Common Effluent Treatment Plants (CETPs) which treat wastewater generated from 15 industrial areas, are being monitored every month. 23 Sewage Treatment Plants of 512 MGD capacity, which have been installed to treat the sewage, are being monitored every month. Interceptor sewer concept is being implemented by DJB on 3 major drains (Najafgarh, Supplementary and Shahadra drains) to keep Yamuna river clean. DPCC conducts monthly Water Quality Monitoring of River Yamuna and Drains and informs the concerned agencies to take corrective action.

Initiatives Taken .. contd.

Around 2,000 youngsters from all over the country got together for an international social media campaign to mark the "International Day of Action", that was observed recently. The Indian campaign dealt with the issue of cleanliness of river Yamuna. About 200 youngsters from India signed an online petition asking the Ministry of Water Resources to take significant and effective steps to clean, rehabilitate and preserve Yamuna.
To supplement the efforts of State Governments in addressing the problem of pollution of river Yamuna, Government of India is implementing Yamuna Action Plan (YAP) with assistance from Japan International Cooperation Agency.

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