Yamuna River -Erakina

The Yamuna has become one of the world’s most polluted rivers. Due to the massive amount of debris, dust, and untreated filth that has fallen right into the Yamuna river, the main tributary of India’s most pious river, Ganga, appears not only stagnant but rotten.

A beautiful morning at Yamuna ghat, Delhi

About The Yamuna River 

The Yamuna River, sometimes known as the Jumna, is a large river in northern India that flows primarily through Uttarakhand and Uttar Pradesh. It’s one of the foremost sacred rivers in the country. The Yamuna rises to a height of 4,421 meters in the upper Himalayas, at the Yamunotri Glacier. At Triveni Sangam, a famous Hindu monument, the Yamuna joins the Ganges.

Over its 1,376 km length, the Yamuna River has numerous tributaries. The Yamuna River is joined by its largest tributary, the Tons River, in Dehradun, Uttarakhand’s capital. On the right, the Chambal River is the Yamuna’s largest tributary. The Hindon, Sarda, and Giri rivers on the right, and Betwa and Sindh rivers on the left, are all key tributaries of the Yamuna.

The Yamuna is vital to India’s economy. The Yamuna has several canals that water large areas on both banks. The Doab, a long, thin, lush area between the Yamuna and the Ganges, is completely irrigated. Aside from that, the Yamuna provides water to major Indian cities such as Delhi and Agra.

The Taj Mahal during a dawn with a reflection in front of the Yamuna river, Agra, India

The Himalayas have a strong influence on the climate in the upper Yamuna catchment’s northern reaches. Winters in this location are bitterly cold, while summers are pleasant. The yearly rainfall averages between 1,500 and 400 millimeteres. The entire catchment is influenced by the south-west monsoon, which brings the majority of the rain between June and September. Between December and February, there is very little rain. Temperatures are moderate in the Yamuna’s lower reaches. Summer temperatures frequently approach 40° Celsius.

For Hindus, the Yamuna is a sacred river. Yami is the sister of Yama, the God of death, and the Goddess of the Yamuna River. Also, it is stated that Krishna crossed the Yamuna River on the night of his birth, which split to allow him to traverse the violent waters. Bathing in its hallowed waters, according to mythology, frees one from the torments of death.

A Dead River 

Poisonous chemicals and untreated sewage have been deposited in Yamuna riverbeds for decades.In some spots, the river appears black and sludgy, and plastic waste litters its banks. A layer of froth has been visible floating over parts of the Yamuna river in Delhi.

Thick foam pollution covers the Yamuna River in New Delhi

Worshippers thronging the Yamuna River for the four-day Chhath festival, standing in froth-laden waters, have resurrected the problem of dirty rivers. The immersion of idols in the cheap lead and chrome paints and plaster of Paris during festivals, as well as puja materials such as polythene bags, foam cutouts, flowers, food offerings, plastic sheets, decorations, and cosmetic items, all pose a threat to the river’s quality.

 Devotees are taking a holy bath and make an offering to God with various types of fruit on the occasion of the Chhath festival

The Yamuna River in Agra has been severely contaminated by plastic waste. The wastewater is mostly generated by domestic activities, which explains the high levels of detergents, laundry detergents, and phosphate compounds present. Untreated industrial pollutants frequently blanket the Yamuna River in a poisonous froth. Although Delhi accounts for only 2% of the river’s length, it produces roughly 76% of the river’s overall pollution burden. The river is dead along its Delhi section, according to all pollution metrics; the dissolved oxygen, which indicates whether or not the river is alive, is zero when the river flows through Delhi. The pollution of the river begins in Haryana and continues through Delhi, eventually rendering it nearly invisible in Uttar Pradesh, where it meets with the Ganga in Allahabad.

Dump of plastic bags and waste products at Yamuna River

Despite the multiple river-cleaning schemes in place and the money spent on them, the Yamuna continues to be filthy. The Yamuna is nearly dead due to untreated garbage seeping into it from various cities along its banks in Haryana and Uttar Pradesh.

Simran Jain

11 May 2022