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Yamuna (यमुना)
River
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Introduction and map of Yamuna
River Yamuna (यमुना), with a total length of around
1,370 kilometers (851 mi), is the largest tributary of the Ganges (River
Ganga गगां) in northern India.
Yamuna is considered the most sacred among all the rivers as per
Hindu mythology. Its source is at Yamunotri, in the Uttarakhand Himalaya,
in the Himalayan Mountains. It flows through the states of Delhi, Haryana and Uttar Pradesh, before merging with the Ganges at Allahabad. The
cities of Delhi, Mathura and Agra lie on its banks.
Yamuna is one of the most polluted rivers in the world, especially around
Delhi, which dumps about 57% of its waste into the river. Delhi alone contributes around 3,296
million litres per day of sewage in the river.
Yamunotri is the source of the revered river Yamuna. It constitutes one of the four most
important pilgrimages, collectively called 'Char Dham' of the Garhwal Himalayas
or Uttarakhand.
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Map of
River Yamuna (यमुना) |
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Source of Yamuna River
The main stream of the river Yamuna originated from the Yamunotri glacier near Bandar Punch in the Mussorie range of lower Himalayas in the district of Uttar Kashi in Uttar
Pradesh. Some say the source of the river is the Saptarishi Kund, a glacial lake. There is a sacred shrine of Yamunotri or Yamnotri, near this source at an altitude of 3235 m.
There is a temple dedicated to the Goddess Yamuna, which remains closed from
November to May. At Hanumanchatti, the Hanuman Ganga merges with Yamuna river. According to a legend, this secluded hilly spot was the home of an ancient sage, Asit Muni.
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Temple of Goddess Yamuna
The temple was built by Maharani Gularia of Jaipur in the 19th century.
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Yamuna River in plains
The main stream of the river Yamuna originated from the Yamunotri glacier
of Uttar Kashi in Uttar Pradesh. The Tons and Giri rivers are the important tributaries of Yamuna and principal source of water in
mountaineous range. The river Yamuna traverse a route length of about 1200 km in the plain from Saharanpur district of Uttar Pradesh to the confluence with river Ganga at Allahabad.
The main tributaries joining in this reach include the Hindon from eastern bank and the Chambal, the Sind, Betwa and the Ken from south-western bank. The
catchment of the Yamuna river system covers parts of the states of Uttar Pradesh, Himachal
Pradesh, Haryana, Rajasthan, Madhya Pradesh and the entire state of Delhi. Each one of
these major tributaries in turn have its own tributary system.
The River Giri with its tributaries Ashwani and Kawal Khad and the Gambhar with its main tributary Baliana are the main rivers
in the eastern and western part of the Solan district. The River Tons meets river Yamuna at Dakpathar in
U.P. River Hindon originates from Upstream of Saharanpur in
U.P. and meets River Yamuna downstream Delhi at Mazawali, Haryana.
River Chambal is most important tributaries occupying nearly half of the basin area of
Yamuna. River Chambal originates from Bar Nagar (M.P.) and joins River Yamuna after Udi (U.P.) at Juhikha (U.P.). From its origin onwards tributaries, Khan and Kshipra join river Chambal before Nagada (M.P.).
Another main tributary of River Chambal is Kalisindh which gets additional water from tributary Parwan at Kota
(Rajasthan).
River Betwa originates from the upstream of Mandideep (Bhopal,
M.P.) and joins River Yamuna at the down stream of Hamirpur (M.P.). River Mandakini and Ken are the last tributaries of river
Yamuna before it joins river Ganga.
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Yamuna river in Agra
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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 reason:
* The Yamuna’s 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.
* Pollution levels in the Yamuna have risen. Biochemical oxygen demand
(BOD) load has increased by 2.5 times between 1980 and 2005 - from 117 tonnes per day
(TPD) in 1980 to 276 TPD in 2005.
* Delhi discharges about 3,684 MLD (million litres per day) of sewage into the
Yamuna.
* The faecal coliform count, which indicates the presence of disease causing
micro- organisms, is nearly 25,000 times more than the limit prescribed for
bathing.
* Delhi and Agra together account for 90 per cent of the pollution in the river.
* The Capital has 16 drains discharging treated and untreated wastewater/sewage
into Yamuna.
* Approximately 1,900 MLD of waste water is discharged from the municipal sector
and 320 MLD from the industrial sector. The installed capacity for treatment is
1,270 MLD.
* The Najafgarh drain contributes to 60 per cent of the total wastewater and 45
per cent of the total BOD load being discharged from Delhi into the Yamuna. The
municipal wastewater has increased from 960 MLD in 1977 to 1,900 MLD in 1997.
* The capacity for treatment -increased from 450 MLD in 1977 to 1,270
MLD in 1997.
* A Central Pollution Control Board study on river water quality at the upstream
of Wazirabad shows dissolved oxygen (DO) level at 7.5 mg/l and BOD level at 2.3
mg/l.
* At downstream Okhla, the DO level declined to 1.3 mg/l with the BOD at 16
mg/l, indicating considerable deterioration in water quality due to discharge of
sewage and industrial effluents.
* The coliform count at Wazirabad is 8,506/100 ml whereas at Okhla, it increases
to 3,29,312/100 ml, as against the prescribed standard of 500/100 ml.
Sources: White Paper by the Ministry of Environment and Forests, Centre for
Science and Environment
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February 13, 2008:
A fish called Tilapia from polluted river Yamuna is suspected to be
the cause of sudden deaths of around 96 gharials in River Chambal
within last two months. |
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Yamuna action plan (YAP)
Government of India (GOI) in 12 towns of Haryana, 8 towns of Uttar Pradesh, and
Delhi under Yamuna Action Plan (YAP) which is being implemented
since 1993 by the National River Conservation Directorate (NRCD) of the Ministry
of Environment and Forests. The Japan Bank for International Cooperation
(JBIC) is participating in the Yamuna Action Plan in 15 of the above 21 towns
on the direction of the Supreme Court of India with soft loan assistance of
about Rs. 700 crore, while GOI is providing the funds for the remaining 6 towns added later. The Indian government's plans to repair sewage
lines is predicted to improve the water quality of the river 90% by the year
2010. The government has spent nearly $500 million trying to clean up the river, most of it going to
waste -treatment stations, yet pollution levels more than doubled from 1993 to
2005 and continue to rise.
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History
It
is said that, Yamuna is the consort of Lord Shri Krishna. Gokula, the divine abode of the Lord is the home of Yamuna. It is
said that the river first went round Shri Krishna before descending down to earth as per the order of her Lord. River Yamuna came to be called as "Kalindi"as she touched the peak of Kalind. Then she descended down the hills and reached the plains at Khandav Vana which has been developed as Delhi city now.
Yamuna and Yama are believed to be the offspring of Sun God 'Surya'. Hence it is considered that whoever takes a dip in the holy waters of the source stream of Yamuna may not have fear of death.
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Yamuna in Hindu religion
The rivers Ganga and Yamuna along with the now dried Saraswati, are the most sacred rivers in India. Yamuna, according to the legends, is the daughter of the Sun God, Surya and the sister of Yama, the God of Death.
The Goddess is believed to have come down from the heavens to sanctify the world. As she first came to rest on the peaks of the mountain Kalinda (in the Himalayas), she is also referred to as
Kalindini. According to ancient beliefs it is said that those who take a dip in the holy waters of the river do not fear death.
Ymuna river is also closely connected to Mahabharat and Lord Krishna.
While His father Vasudeva was crossing the Yamuna with baby Lord Krishna for a safe place at Gokula on the other bank of the river from
Mathura, the Lord fell down in the river, and by the dust of His lotus feet the river at once became sanctified."
A bath in Yamuna river is said to be one hundred times more purifying than a bath in the
Ganges, because the Ganges was once touched by the feet of Lord Vishnu, it was the Yamuna where Lord Krishna Himself played and swam with His cowherd
boyfriends and with the beautiful gopi damsels of Vraja.
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Lord Krishna's father
Vasudeva, crossed the Yamuna with baby Lord Krishna for a safe place. |
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Economy
River Yamuna is the largest tributary of Ganga. It serves as the lifeline to lakhs of people living on its banks. It provides drinking water and is also used for irrigating vast agricultural lands. The cities and towns on the bank extract large quantities of water
for industrial use and discharge a variety of pollutants in the
river making Yamuna as one of the most polluted rivers in the country.
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Ecology
Yamuna supports a wide variety of plant and animal species. The river is home to thousands of resident and migratory birds. The banks of the river are one of the last refuges for the dwindling populations of blackbucks, chitals, and nilgais etc.
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Yamuna in Dehli
Delhi, the capital of
India is best known for pollution of the Yamuna River, which looks like a sewer. Once the lifeline of Delhi, Yamuna has now became
the most polluted water resource of the country. India’s capital New Delhi is not at par with other major
cities of the world despite its magnificent flyovers, towering buildings, huge multiplexes, fun parks,
metro and much more. A number of reasons are behind Delhi’s ailing position and
pollution of river Yamuna is one of them. From big industries and factories to people living in big colonies, slums and
rural areas, all pollute the river with impunity because of untreated water.
A number of projects were launched by the government to clean the Yamuna, but till date nothing has happened. Not only the
government, but also several NGOs are working to clean the Yamuna. Yet the
situation is worsening by the day. You can’t stand for even a few minutes on the
Yamuna’s bank at some places due to the foul smell of the stagnant water.
Recently, Delhi chief minister Sheila Dixit claimed that Yamuna would be cleaner
up to 70 per cent before the Commonwealth Games in 2010. But
Narain, the director of the Science and Environment Centre, says that throwing more money into a sewage-diversion infrastructure project would be a waste. Ironically, the Delhi
government itself submitted an affidavit before the Supreme Court stating that
the Yamuna clean drive would not be complete before 2012. In its affidavit,
Delhi Jal Board (DJB) said that the river remained a ‘sewage canal’ due to the
143 unauthorised colonies, 1,080 slums and villages that present a problem in
collection of sewage water that flows into the Yamuna untreated.
Delhi government has also inserted advertisements in newspapers claiming that
the river would be clean by 2010. But the affidavit has cut short the tall
claims of Delhi government to clean up the river by 2010. According to reports,
for the last 14 years the apex court is monitoring all the steps taken by the
Delhi Jal Board to clean up the river. About Rs 1,800 crore has been spent on
the cleaning drive in 14 years, but the river is becoming more and more polluted
daily.
The fate of the Yamuna is now in the hands of India's Supreme Court, which took up the issue on its own in 1994 after press reports highlighting the river's dismal
condition. In early May the Court approved a proposal from the Delhi Jal Board to build interceptor sewers that would channel the waste flowing from unconnected parts of the city to the sewage-treatment plants. The
new construction will cost another $500 million.
"The Biochemical Oxygen Demand (BOD) load, an important indicator of pollution level has increased by 13 per cent over last year," Central Pollution Control Board (CPCB) has said in its latest 2007 report. This rise might be because of either increase in generation of BOD load in the city or decrease in treatment efficiency of sewage treatment plant (STPs), it noted.
The premier pollution control agency is regularly monitoring the river's water quality under National River Conservation Directorate sponsored project. "The 22-km stretch which runs through the capital contributes 77 per cent of the total pollution recorded from the 1768-km-long river,"
the CPCB said.
As many as 18 drains in national capital falling in Yamuna contributed mainly to total 265 tonnes/day BOD load in 2007 while canals in Agra and Gurgaon added around 50
tonnes. Of these 18 drains, five drains -- Najafgarh, Shahdara, Sarita Vihar Bridge, Sen Nursing Home and Power House contributed 83 per cent of total load, the report said, adding domestic and industrial sewage generated within the city is the main source of pollution.
Delhi and Agra-located on the river Yamuna. These cities are looking for water, even as a river passes by
them; Delhi is already getting water from the Tehri dam, over 500 km away. Agra, too, is looking to Tehri to meet its thirst. Ironically, it is Delhi which pollutes the Yamuna to such an extent that its downstream neighbour, Agra, finds it difficult to drink the water.
News on Yamuna
New Delhi, July 30, 2008: "The nation's capital is perpetually in the grip of a water crisis, more so in the dry season, when the situation gets particularly worse," says the study by the Associated Chambers of Commerce and Industry
(Assocham). The study says water pollution was another area of concern even
though the water in Yamuna reaches the national capital relatively clean after its 395-km descent from the Himalayas.
"As it leaves the city, the river becomes the principal drain for Delhi's waste as residents pour about 950 million gallons of sewage into it each day. Coursing through the capital, the river becomes a noxious black thread."
Let alone drinking, fecal coliform in the Yamuna (a measure of filth) is 20 percent, or 100,000 times the safe limit for even bathing, with raw sewage floating on top and methane gas gurgling on
the surface, the study points out.
NEW DELHI, June 27, 2008: There has been no dearth of plans or pious resolves to clean the Yamuna and yet it remains a dirty
nullah. Despite the failure of the Rs 674-crore Yamuna Action Plan-I to achieve its objectives, the MCD says it's confident that by 2012, it would have cleaned the Yamuna by 80%. Under Yamuna Action Plan-II, the civic agency will be spending Rs 34.60 crore out of a total budget of Rs 624 crore. On Thursday, the MCD launched the website for YAP-II to ensure greater public participation in cleaning the river.
AGRA, June 23, 2008: In what is believed to be a first in the country, Agra district authorities on Sunday announced forming a five-member River Police Squad to keep an eye on polluters of the
Yamuna. The move comes after a Supreme Court directive of a decade ago, asking the district administration to form such a squad to drive away cattle owners, who daily bring their buffaloes to the river for washing and thus polluting it. Similarly, the apex court had asked for shifting or re-locating the
washermen.
NEW DELHI, June 19, 2008: No construction will be allowed along and around the Yamuna River and the riverfront. Putting a stamp of approval on the draft zonal plan for river Yamuna - Zone O - at the Authority meeting of the DDA, lieutenant governor Tejendra Khanna made it clear that only greens will be developed in this zone and even sought substitution of the word recreational activity in areas demarcated for the purpose in the zone with green development.
AGRA, June 5, 2008: A people's conference attended by social activists, environmentalists and
intellectuals on June 4 demanded that Yamuna river be accorded a world heritage status by the Unesco and the Indian government.
"For long we have sought piecemeal solutions to pollution-related problems of this river and huge money has flown down its dirty waters through various plans and schemes. The time has now come when the whole river system, right from Doon Valley to Sangam in
Allahabad, be recognised as a heritage asset and conserved in its totality," said Surendra Sharma, president of the Braj Mandal Heritage Conservation Society, at the conference.
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