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Yamuna banks in Delhi ready for Chhath Puja
New Delhi, November 12, 2010 (IANS):The Yamuna river banks in the capital are all decked up as nearly 50
lakh people from Bihar, eastern Uttar Pradesh and Jharkhand in the capital prepare for the rituals of Chhath puja on Friday to worship the
sun god. Surya Shashthi, or Chhath puja as it is popularly known, is observed by the Poorvanchalis - the people from Bihar, eastern Uttar Pradesh and
Jharkhand. The four-day festival which started on Wednesday, will Friday see thousands of devotees going to the banks of the Yamuna and other water
bodies for the ceremonial first 'Arghya' (the ritual offering of water) to the setting sun.
Yamunotri to close for winter on November 7
Dehra Dun, October 29, 2010 (PTI) The famous shrine of Yamunotri, the source of
river Yamuna, would close down for winters on the occasion of Bhaiyaduj on November 7, official sources said today. Yamunotri would be closed
for pilgrims for winter period at 1345 hrs on November 7, said Udai Singh
Rana, Chairman of Yamunotri temple committee. Situated in Uttarkashi district of Uttaranchal, Yamunotri remains closed for
pilgrims during the months of October and November every year as the area remains snow-bound during the period and reopens in April-May the next year.
Yamuna in spate, Jairam Ramesh for better management
NEW DELHI, October 26, 2010: The National Ganga River Basin Authority
(NGRBA) has formulated a concept paper for water augmentation in the 22km stretch of the Yamuna that flows through the capital. In a letter
written recently to chief minister Sheila Dikshit, minister of environment and forests Jairam Ramesh has asked the Delhi government to "take full advantage" of the fact that the river is in full spate after a
30-year gap and either upstream storage facilities or recharge wells in the flood plain must be made to tap excess monsoon water each year.
(TOI)
Panel proposes Yamuna authority to save river
NEW DELHI, October 20, 2010: A high-powered committee has recommended that a
Yamuna River Development Authority should be constituted along the lines of the Ganga authority
that will be responsible for the entire stretch of the river from Yamunotri — where it starts from the glacier — to Allahabad where it
finally meets the Ganga.
The authority will have jurisdiction over inter-state water wars and
will see to the implementation of all other recommendations of the committee, including conservation of monsoon water to be released
throughout the year, dredging of the river and implementation of the moratorium on construction on the riverbed. The recommendations have
already been sent to the PMO. The committee had been formed in 2007, with the lieutenant-governor of Delhi |
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Yamuna continues to flow above danger mark in Agra
AGRA, September 28, 2010: Yamuna continued to flow over the danger mark in this Taj city
Tuesday morning, but authorities are hopeful that it would soon start to recede.The impact of the flood in Agra region was grim, with reports of
extensive damage to standing crops and the spread of water-borne diseases.
The Yamuna was still flowing more than four feet above the "medium flood" level of 499 feet, but irrigation department officials indicated
that it might show a gradual fall by evening.
The water level in the Yamuna is 1.65 metre above the danger mark
New Delhi, September 22, 2010 (PTI) Heavy rains today continued to lash the city which led in rise of water
level in the river Yamuna which has been flowing well above the danger mark of 204.83
metres. The rain gauges measured 30 mm of rainfall for a period of 24 hours till 8:30 AM.
Rains resulted in waterlogging in many areas and it slowed vehicular movement in places like Nizamuddin, Dhaula Kuan, ITO, Vikas Marg and
parts of Ring Road.The water level in the Yamuna had touched 206.48 metres last night which
is 1.65 metre above the danger mark of 204.83 metres.
Bridge over Yamuna closed as water continues to rise
New Delhi, September 21: The iron bridge over river Yamuna in Delhi has been closed
once again as the river continued to flow above the danger level. This
will affect rail traffic from Old Delhi Railway Station. The water level has reached to 206.09 meters, more than a meter above
the danger mark. Flood threat loomed large over Delhi as neighbouring Haryana on Monday
released 7.5 lakh cusec of water into Yamuna, the highest discharge in last 100 years on a single day.Source: NDTV
Yamuna river in spate touching the foundation of the Taj Mahal
Agra, September 15, 2010: Early Wednesday the water level in the Yamuna crossed 495 feet,
submerging large parts of the controversial Taj Corridor project. 'The grandeur of the Taj looks grander when the river is full of water,
when the sky is clear and blue with the moon and stars smiling at night.
The romantic aura is automatically kindled and finds expression in myriad ways,' said noted theatre personality Jeetendra
Raghuvanshi. Not just Taj Mahal, other monuments like the Agra Fort,
Etmaduddaula, Chini ka Roza and Mehtab Bagh along the banks of the river are drawing
huge crowds as well.
Floods in Yamuna leave villagers homeless
Noida, September 13, 2010 : With the Yamuna river flowing above the danger level and flooding
several villages on Saturday, residents in over a dozen villages along
the Hindon Pushta and Yamuna Pushta areas under Gautam Budha Nagar district have been force to leave their homes, seeking shelter at nearby
villages.In Noida, water along the embankment flooded Sector 94 and farmhouses
in adjoining areas. Shani Temple too was submerged in water. In Noida, flood alert has been sounded at Raipur, Asgarpur, Yakutpur,
Gulavli, Mangroli, Chhaproli and Bakhtawarpur.
Parts of Delhi flooded as Yamuna flows above danger mark
New Delhi, September 11, 2010 (PTI): The rising Yamuna flooded several parts of the capital on Saturday as
the water level climbed two metres above the danger mark, threatening to
submerge more low-lying areas. The water level in the river rose to 206.70 metre at 12:30 pm, 1.87
metre above the danger mark of 204.83 metre and is likely to go up further as neighbouring Haryana would release more water in the river, a
senior official of the flood control department said. Some low-lying areas near the river, including Garhi Mandu, Usmanpur
Pusta, Jagatpur Village and Shastri Nagar, were inundated by the rising water. Areas near the ISBT were also flooded, prompting thousands of
people to stake shelter in government relief camps and in higher areas.
Flood water also entered areas like Yamuna Vihar, Usmanpur, Madanpur, Sonia Vihar, Nigambodh, Jaitpur, Tibet Market and Yamuna
Bazar. Seventy-four boats and 68 divers have also been pressed into service. Over 100 personnel from National Disaster Response Force, have been
deployed to assist the local authorities.
Apex court clears way for Yamuna Expressway
New Delhi, September 8, 2010 (IANS) The Supreme Court Wednesday cleared the way for
the six-lane Yamuna Expressway, upholding the Allahabad High Court verdict on acquisition of land by the Uttar Pradesh government for the
project. The Allahabad High Court, dismissing petitions of 35 farmers whose lands
were being acquired for the project, upheld the state government policy for acquiring land for the mega project.
Yamuna level still above danger mark
New Delhi, August 29, 2010:
The Yamuna river continues to flow above the danger mark,
people from low lying areas have already been evacuated and authorities
are keeping a close watch on the water level. However, monsoon showers returned to Delhi yesterday after a gap of
about 24 hours swelling the river even more.
Thousands of fish die in Yamuna
KANPUR, August, 10, 2010: Thousands of fish died on Monday in the Yamuna in Etawah
allegedly following release of poisonous effluents from industries dotting UP, Delhi and
Haryana. A huge number of dead `Labeo rohita' fish, locally called `Rohu', was found floating on the river. "I have never seen such a large number of
dead fish in the Yamuna," said Ghanshyam Raidas, residents of Bhumanpura
village, Etawah. "The effluents must be highly toxic because of which the fish might have
died," suspected Rajiv Chauhan, secretary, Society for Conservation of
Nature. When contacted, district officials of Etawah said the chemical or suspected pollutant might have paralysed the respiratory system of
the fish. However, they said the cause would be ascertained only after tests. Source: The Times of India
Floods muddy Yamuna, water supply to be hit in South, West
New Delhi, July 13, 2010: The water quality in areas fed by the Haiderpur and Nangloi
water treatment plants is likely to be affected due to an acute water
shortage over the next four days following an increase in the Yamuna?s
pollution levels. Delhi Jal Board officials said levels of turbidity,
ammonia and nitrate have far exceeded the permissible limits, affecting
water treatment in the two plants fed by the Western Yamuna Canal.
Officials said floods in the catchment areas during monsoons leads
to soil run-off that increases the levels of mud and suspended solids in
water (also known as turbidity). Solid surface pollutants and discharge
from various sewage and stormwater drains flow into the river, changing
the colour of the water to a dark muddy brown. (Source: expressindia)
Mahaarti programme of river Yamuna
ALLAHABAD, June 17, 2010: Mahaarti programme of river Yamuna would be performed at the
Baluaghat Baradari on June 21, on the occasion of Ganga Dusherra. The
event would be marked by cultural programmes, deepdan and distribution
of prasad.
India shuns poor evicted due to Commonwealth games
Delhi, June 16, 2010: Social activists say government efforts to portray the city as a
global sporting hub come at the expense of thousands of poor urban Indians who have been evicted, displaced or exploited as a result of the
Games."The scale and frequency of evictions and demolitions of informal
settlements and slums has gained momentum in the run-up to the Games,"
said Shivani Chaudhry, associate coordinator of the Housing and Land
Rights Network (HLRN), an arm of the Habitat International Coalition.
Construction of new bridge over Yamuna stopped
Agra, June 9 (IANS) The Archaeological Survey of India (ASI) has asked
for immediately stopping construction of a bridge on the river Yamuna
here as it is quite close to a Mughal era monument. Superintending Archaeologist A.R. Siddiqui told IANS: “We have asked the
Uttar Pradesh State Bridge Corporation Limited to stop construction and
seek clearance from ASI headquarters in New Delhi.” This, he said, had been done as new rules have come into force,
according to which construction within 300 metres of a protected monument is regulated and can be continued after a green signal from the
ASI headquarters.
Yamuna River Development Authority
MUMBAI , April 27, 2010 (PIB): The Central Government has constituted the Yamuna River Development Authority under the chairmanship of Lieutenant Governor, Delhi. The role of the Authority is to commission studies on different aspects of the development of the river, viz. hydrology, ecology, environmental pollution, sustainable use of the river front etc. to feed into the policy frame work; to develop a policy framework and prepare an integrated plan addressing issues of both quantity in terms of river flow and quality of Yamuna River; to develop an operational plan for implementation of the river action plan; effect inter-sectoral coordination and suggest design for a statutory framework. This information was given by the Minister of State for Finance Shrimati Namo Narain Meena who is looking other the Ministry of Environment and forests in a written reply to a question by Shri Mahendra Mohan in Rajya Sabha today.
Musical protest at Vrindavan to save Yamuna
Vrindavan, April 10, 2010: The banks of the polluted Yamuna river came alive to the soul-stirring strains of a unique musical protest that bemoaned nature's bountiful beauty turning into a sewage drain and hoped for better sense that would one day revive its 'divine glory'.
The musical initiative of Acharya Jaimini on Thursday evening drew cheers and support from activists, who have been alarmed by the construction frenzy, high level of industrial effluents and toxic waste finding way into the river.
A thousand hands to save Yamuna in Taj city on World Water Day
Agra , March 22, 2010: As the world marks the World Water Day March 22, 2010 to raise awareness about this basic natural resource essential for life, volunteers here have cleaned up the banks of the Yamuna river. The Yamuna river clean-up was organised by the Rivers of the World (ROW) Foundation in the Taj city. Hundreds of school children, professionals, activists and senior citizens joined the campaign to clean up the river banks and expressed their resolve to restore the glory and eminence of the Yamuna.
Students, activists join hand to clean Yamuna River in Agra
Agra, February 7, 2010 (ANI): Setting an example for society, hundreds of enthusiastic
students and local residents joined hands in the city of Taj Mahal in Uttar
Pradesh on Sunday to launch a campaign to clean the polluted Yamuna river.Organized by the Nehru Youth Centre, the week-long campaign saw scores
of students from around five states participating in this drive. Due to the discharge of untreated effluents upstream from open drains and
barrages, the quality of water has deteriorated drastically.
Stop constructing bridge along Yamuna in Mathura: HC
Allahabad, January 23, 2010 (PTI): The Allahabad High Court has stayed the construction of
a bridge along the river Yamuna at Vrindaban in Mathura, saying it was "in gross
violation of Indian Archaeological Act as well as Environment (Protection) Act.The order was passed by a Division Bench comprising Justice V M Sahai and
Justice V K Dixit on a Public Interest Litigation filed by one Madhu Mangal
Shukla.In the interim order on January 21, the court also stayed all "illegal
constructions on the land which falls between the Ghats and river Yamuna on both
sides of Vrindavan" besides ordering that dumping of garbage in the river or at
its banks be stopped.
Water recycling plant to benefit 5 lakh Delhiites
Delhi, January 19, 2010 (PTI) : Water supply in north Delhi will see a marked improvement both in quality and
quantity with Chief Minister Shiela Dikshit on Tuesday launching a fully-integrated recycling plant at one of the city’s oldest water treatment
complex in Wazirabad. “Five lakh more residents of Burari and Palla regions are going to be benefited
from additional water supply facilitated due to the new recycling plant, which
will recycle wastewater generated during water treatment operations at the
complex,” Ms. Dikshit told reporters after inspecting the new facility.
Delhi Jal Board is setting up two more recycle water treatment plants, the first
of their kind in the country, in Bhagirathi and Chandrawal complexes. It already
commissioned one in Haiderpur last year. By March 2010, these plants will
collectively add a total of 45 MGD to the city’s water supply.
Vrindavan eco-activists launch Save Yamuna campaign
Vrindavan (UP), December 26, 2009 (IANS): Even as preparations are underway here
for a large religious festival starting next month, eco-activists led by former
director general of police K.P.S. Gill and working under the Save Yamuna to Save
Vrindavan campaign have demanded rethinking on building a new bridge at the
heritage Keshi Ghat. Though district authorities are working overtime to ensure that basic civic
infrastructure is ready by early January for the festival they call a Kumbh
Mela, leaders of various Akharas (Hindu sects) in Vrindavan are not satisfied
with the state of preparedness.
Toyota and NDTV cleaning up the banks of the Yamuna
Delhi, December 5, 2009: Toyota and NDTV continue their green campaign with River
Cleanathon In their continuing effort to create a cleaner, greener tomorrow
through the hugely successful ‘Greenathon’, Toyota and NDTV celebrated
International Volunteer Day (IVD) by cleaning up the banks of the Yamuna at
Kudesia Ghat, in Delhi, today. The theme for IVD 2009, as conceived by the United Nations, is ‘Volunteering for our Planet’. The campaign received an overwhelming response from India’s leading
corporates, top Bollywood stars, musicians, environmentalists, NGOs and educational
institutions who showed their solidarity towards the cause by participating in
various clean up drives, marathon and entertaining the audience round-the-clock
with their performances as part of the Greenathon, the 24 hour nonstop television programming.
Clean Yamuna project may wipe off Delhi Lake
New Delhi, November 30, 2009 ( PTI ): One of Delhi’s large water bodies, Jahangirpuri, might vanish with the State
Government proposing a string of projects, the latest being a water treatment
plant and sewage interceptor on the marshland. If approved by the Delhi High Court, the marshland spread over 285 acres land in
North Delhi having grassland habitat will pave way for the concrete structures.
After police and PWD proposed residential complexes a few years back on 60 and
42 acres of land respectively, the Delhi Jal Board (DJB) is eyeing the site to
set up a 275 MGD water treatment plant at 100 acre area to process raw water to
be supplied by the Renuka dam, which is being constructed in Himachal Pradesh.
Thousands of fish found dead in Yamuna
Etawah (UP), November 18, 2009 (PTI) Thousands of fish have died apparently due to
discharge of poisonous effluents in the Yamuna river near Mathura and Agra,
raising concerns for the safety of nearby marine conservation projects.
The dead fish were spotted under a bridge on the Etawah-Gwalior road yesterday,
District Forest Officer (DFO) Sudershan Singh said, adding this might have been
due to the poisonous discharge from Mathura refinery and Agra city into the Yamuna. |
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Devotees pray to setting sun on Ymuna river bank
NEW DELHI, October 26, 2009: The biggest festival of
Poorvanchalis, Chhath was celebrated with much fervour in the city. The banks of the Yamuna, colourfully decorated with flowers and lights, were reverberating with devotional Bhojpuri folk songs on Saturday. Thousands of devotees, including those observing a fast, thronged the ghats to offer prayers to the setting sun.
Allahabad HC gives go ahead in Yamuna expressway
October 10, 2009: In a reprieve to Uttar Pradesh government, the Allahabad High Court upheld the validity of notification for acquiring the land for 160 km long Yamuna Expressway from Delhi to Mathura and further to Agra. Upholding the validity of notification issued on October 15, 2007 under the provisions of Land Acquisition Act, the court asked the state government as well as the JP group of industries to go ahead to achieve the objective of the Yamuna Expressway within the time schedule.
Passing the order, a division bench comprising of Justices S K Singh and Shabibul Hasnain said ‘it cannot be said that the notification by the state government for acquisition of land for the construction of Yamuna Expressway was illegal, unlawful, unwarranted, malafide or undertaken in colourable exercise of powers.’ The court order paves the way for ambitious Yamuna Expressway project along the river Yamuna stretching from Delhi to Agra via Mathura.
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Enclosures in Yamuna earmarked for immersing religious items
NEW DELHI, September 25, 2009 (PTI): To prevent the already-choked Yamuna river from becoming a dumping drain for religious material during the Navratra festival, Delhi Government has earmarked 13 enclosures across the city for immersion of such items. The move comes three years after the Delhi High Court directed the authorities to take preventive measures to ensure that river is not polluted further during the festive season. According to a survey, more than 300 idols were immersed in Yamuna last year, accounting for approximately 36 tonnes of paints and
other chemicals and over 15 tonnes of puja material.
Thousands of Fish Dying in India's Yamuna River
September 17, 2009: High levels of pollution in the Yamuna River are killing thousands of fish in
India's Taj city Agra, in northern Uttar Pradesh state.Liquid waste being released upstream from open drains and
barrages has caused the quality of the river water to deteriorate drastically. The pollution is now
so high that the water is not even suitable for bathing, let alone drinking. The death of hundreds of fish that are now floating on the surface of the river has
increased concerns further. Even more alarming are reports that some people are collecting these fish and
selling them in the market, which could lead to the spread of disease. - Asia Pacific News
Human chain to create awareness for pollution-free Yamuna
NEW DELHI, September 8, 2009 (PTI): To create public awareness about the need for a pollution-free
Yamuna, a musical show and human chain will be organized in the capital on Saturday. Held under the public participation and awareness component of Yamuna Action Plan II, the programme will have Delhi Lt Governor Tejendra Khanna as the Chief Guest while Mayor Kanwar Sain, MCD
Commissioner K S Mehra and civic councillors will also take part. River-based musical compositions will feature in the event which
will also see participants wearing the "Yamuna Mask" -- to indicate the current state of the river.
After Supreme Court ruling, little hope left for Yamuna
New Delhi, August 15, 2009: The recent Supreme Court judgement rejecting the plea that construction of the Commonwealth Games Village on the Yamuna bed posed an
environmental threat, has been greeted with dismay by activists, struggling hard for many years to revive the historic river and protect its
environs. The Rs 2,000-crore Commonwealth Games Village project adjacent to Yamuna river got the Supreme Court's green signal and was virtually rescued from an environmental trap by the Rs 500 crore Akshardham Temple complex. The need of the hour is to save and conserve the rivers, not commercialise their environs. It is a measure of Government ineptitude that all well-intentioned efforts, such as the action plans to revive the Yamuna and
Ganga, have been defeated by counter-impulses to build on the beds and floodplains. Thousands of crores of rupees assigned for these projects seem to have disappeared into a bottomless dark hole, with nothing to show for the massive investment. Delhi Chief Minister Sheila Dikshit has gone so far as to admit that it would not be possible to clean up the Yamuna by next October, when the games are slated to take place.
New Delhi, July 01, 2009: Leader of Opposition in the Delhi assembly V.K. Malhotra
criticised Delhi Chief Minister Sheila Dikshit for reportedly saying that cleaning of the Yamuna river would take several more
years.“For the last three elections, the Congress government
has constantly promised a clean Yamuna and has spent over Rs.2,000 crore on the Yamuna Cleaning Campaign. Despite all politically motivated campaigns, today we find that the holy Yamuna has been reduced to a dirty drain and may be the most
polluted river in the country,” Malhotra said. Dikshit too accepted that her government’s Yamuna Action Plan has failed and it will not be able to clean the river before the Commonwealth Games next
October. Dikshit had reportedly said that the government would need several years to clean the river.
U'khand seeks funding for big power projects on the river Yamuna
New Delhi, April 25, 2009: The Uttarakhand government is in talks with financial institutions like the Asian Development Bank (ADB) and the Power Finance Corporation to revive a couple of big hydel projects. With the hydropower sector taking a beating following suspension of three major hydel projects, the state government
restarted construction work on the 120 Mw Vyasi hydel project, which was stalled two decades ago due to paucity of funds. The Vyasi dam is being developed by Uttarakhand Jal Vidyut Nigam Limited (UJVNL) on the river Yamuna in Dehra Dun district with a cost of Rs 759 crore. The project would produce 438.38 million units of peaking power annually and earn a revenue of Rs 105.29 crore per year.
Vrindavan, March 23, 2009 (ANI): Hundreds of devotees, including foreigners, converged on the banks of Yamuna River here to do their bit to save the river from
pollution.Organised by an The International Society for Krishna Consciousness
(ISKON) Temple here, the programme saw devotees singing devotional songs of their lord
as they took out a procession of the Radha and Krishna on a decorated boat on the holy river.
NEW DELHI, February 27, 2009: Increasing effluents and sewage coupled with lack of fresh water in Yamuna during lean period has taken a toll on the water quality of
the river stretch passing through the national capital, the Rajya Sabha was informed. Environment minister Namo Narain Meena in a reply to a question said the water quality monitoring carried out by the Central Pollution Control Board
(CPCB) indicates the water quality in the stretch of the river from Tajewala to Palla in Haryana is within the
prescribed limit.
NEW DELHI, February 23, 2009: "A major project costing Rs.15 billions to trap pollutants at Sewage Treatment Plants (STPs) at 18 major sewage drains falling into the Yamuna river is ready for implementation to ensure that only clean water from the entire city flows into the river," Delhi's Lieutenant Governor Tejender Khanna
said while flagging off Yamuna Rally at Jamia Millia Islamia organised by the Municipal Corporation of Delhi
(MCD). Nearly 5,000 citizens, including residents welfare associations, NGOs and university and college students, participated in the event to highlight the causes and effects of river pollution and motivate people to take action for change.
Cleaning Projects of River Yamuna
Rajya Sabha, December 18, 2008: The Government of India has undertaken Yamuna Action
Plan (YAP) in a phased manner for the abatement of pollution of river Yamuna with the assistance from Japan Bank for International Cooperation, Government of Japan.
The Yamuna Action Plan (YAP) Phase-I was started in April, 1993 in the three States of UP, Delhi & Haryana covering 15 towns. The project was completed in February, 2003 at a total cost of Rs. 682 crore. A total of 269 schemes of pollution abatement were completed
with the creation of sewage treatment plants having additional treatment capacity of 753.25 million liters per day (mld). Under the YAP-II, which commenced in December, 2004 at an approved cost of Rs. 624 crore, the major portion of the outlay i.e. Rs. 387.17 crore has been allocated to Delhi. -PIB
Sheila defends new technology for Yamuna
NEW DELHI, December 14, 2008: Defending the interceptor sewage system as the best method of cleaning the Yamuna, Sheila Dikshit said. The earlier technologies under the Yamuna Action Plan, on which crores had been spent, were "not correct''. With the new technology, she said the river would be clean in another seven to eight years. Having headed the environment ministry earlier, Dikshit said that even this term, environment will get special attention by her cabinet. "The Yamuna and air pollution are under special scrutiny. However, our aim is to ensure that we have maximum participation in this effort by all Delhiites,'' said Dikshit.
Jal Board babus jailed for polluting Yamuna
New Delhi, November 25, 2008: Delhi High Court on Tuesday ordered a two-week jail term for former DJB CEO Arun Mathur
and two other top officials of the Board for their failure to prevent sewage from flowing into the Yamuna despite assuring the
court two years ago that they will take steps to stem sewagwe flow into the river.
Delhi releasing polluted water into Yamuna
CHANDIGARH, November 17, 2008: Haryana Financial Commissioner and Principal Secretary, Irrigation, R N Prasher said that while the state is supplying water to Delhi in river Yamuna at Wazirabad with the Biochemical Oxygen Demand
(BOD) of less then 2 mg per litre, in turn Delhi has been releasing "highly polluted" water down stream of Wazirabad Barrage into river Yamuna which is having BOD of upto 43 mg per liter.
This water is not even fit for irrigation and is very toxic and injurious to health of animals and human beings who come into direct contact with this water, he alleged.
Why only the Ganga, make Yamuna national river too, demand activists
Agra, November 10, 2008 (IANS): How can you think of the Ganga without the Yamuna? This is what people living along the Yamuna river here are asking after the government
decided to declare the Ganga a national river and constitute a separate panel to clean up the river. People in Agra, Mathura and Vrindavan have reacted sharply.
“Along with the Ganga, the prime minister should have also granted the same
status and importance to the river Yamuna, the lifeline of Delhi, Mathura and Agra,” says environmentalist Ravi Singh.
The Braj Mandal Heritage Conservation Society president says the Yamuna “historically, culturally, politically and architecturally is more important than the
Ganga. Along the Yamuna’s banks flourished a culture, commerce and the whole Sri Krishna-Radha mythology. Today the Yamuna is in bad shape because of pollution and lack of water.
Court steps in to save Yamuna : New Delhi, November 3, 2008 (PTI): In a clear signal of its resolve to save the
Yamuna, the Delhi High Court on Monday said that any construction close to the river that may have an adverse impact on environment would not be allowed for the Commonwealth Games 2010. A Bench comprising
Justice A K Sikri and Justice Rekha Sharma made it clear any construction that has been undertaken or is likely to be carried out by Government and other parties would be cleared by a four-
member committee. "We amply make it clear to the respondents (Government and others) that if they carry out any construction, they will be doing so at their own peril," the Bench said, while constituting the committee headed by environmental scientist R K
Pachauri.
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