India is probably one of the few countries in the world where a city’s riverfront is not given much importance. A prominent example is none other than the river Yamuna. Reduced to a filthy canal, the once proud river is one of the most polluted water resources in the country. Tonnes of sewage is dumped into the Yamuna and despite the Supreme Court’s persistent monitoring for over a decade and billions of rupees spent, the situation is far from what is expected or desired.
With the Coliform content in the Yamuna in Delhi being as high as it should be in raw sewage, the river is practically a useless water body.
Experts feel that planners are spending money without understanding the connection between sewage and its disposal and river pollution, which are some of the main reasons for the failure of previous plans. But, all is not lost. The Delhi Government is determined to clean the river. Says Sheila Dixit, Chief Minister of Delhi, “We had a study done by Engineers India Limited and this is now being re-examined by APCO so that we are sure of what plans will be initiated.” The Rs 1,500-crore mega-project, recently announced by the Lieutenant Governor is ready for implementation. The project will ensure that the sewage from various drains that flows directly into the Yamuna, is diverted to special treatment plants where the water will be treated first and only then allowed to reach the river.
“We are using interceptors all over Delhi so that the sludgewhich goes into the Yamuna is stopped and cleared. We hope by this method we can keep the river clean.” The Chief Minister conceded that “it is a long-term project and it is not possible to complete it by the Commonwealth Games 2010 unless a miracle happens.” However, along with the government’s efforts we need some collective responsibility taken by the people of Delhi.
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