Overview
The Central Pollution Control Board (CPCB), in its latest assessment, has reported that the Yamuna River stretch passing through Delhi continues to be critically polluted, even as there has been a marginal decline in the total number of polluted river stretches across India.
Extent of River Pollution in India
- The CPCB has identified 296 polluted river stretches nationwide.
- Out of these, 37 stretches fall under the “Priority I” category, indicating severe pollution levels.
- The classification is based on Biochemical Oxygen Demand (BOD) levels, a key indicator of organic pollution.
Yamuna in Delhi: Critical Contamination Zone
- The severely polluted stretch extends from Palla to Asgarpur village in Delhi.
- Pollution levels remain high despite continuous monitoring and multiple rejuvenation initiatives.
- Key monitoring locations include:
- Palla
- Wazirabad
- ISBT Bridge
- ITO Bridge
- Nizamuddin
- Okhla
- Asgarpur
Data and Methodology
- The CPCB assessment is based on water quality data from 2022 and 2023.
- A total of 32,116 monitoring locations were examined during this review.
- A stretch is marked polluted if BOD exceeds 3 mg/L at two or more consecutive monitoring points.
Trends in River Quality
- The number of polluted river stretches has declined from 351 in 2018 to 296 now, indicating some improvement.
- However, the Yamuna in Delhi shows no significant progress, reflecting persistent issues of:
- Sewage discharge
- Industrial effluents
- Untreated wastewater inflow
- Encroachment and solid waste dumping
Long-Standing Environmental Challenge
The Yamuna remains one of the most polluted rivers in India, particularly in Delhi, where over 70–80% of the river’s pollution load is concentrated. Various central and state-level initiatives like the Yamuna Action Plan (YAP) and Namami Gange Mission have not yielded the expected outcomes due to implementation gaps and weak enforcement.