Project Work

For NSS
NAME :- AMAAN HASNAIN
BRANCE :- ELECTRONICS AND
COMMUNICATION
SECTION:- B7
ROLL NO:- 2300540310006
Yamuna
Yamuna River, is a major river of northern India, primarily in Uttarakhand and Uttar
pradesh states. It is one of the country’s most sacred rivers.

origin
The Yamuna rises on the slopes of the Bandarpunch massif in the Great Himalayas near
Yamnotri (Jamnotri) in western Uttarakhand. It flows in a southerly direction swiftly
through the Himalayan foothills and, exiting Uttarakhand, onto the Indo-Gangetic
Plain, along the border between Uttar Pradesh and Haryana state to the west. The
Eastern and Western Yamuna canals are fed from the river at that point. The Yamuna
then passes Delhi, where it feeds the Agra Canal. South of Delhi, and now wholly within Uttar
Pradesh, it turns southeastward near Mathura and passes Agra, Firozabad, and Etawah. Below
Etawah it receives a number of southern tributaries, the largest of which are the Chambal, the
Sindh, the Betwa, and the Ken. Near Prayagraj (Allahabad), after a course of about 855 miles
(1,376 km), the Yamuna joins the Ganges (Ganga) River. The confluence of the two rivers is an
especially sacred place to Hindus and is the site of annual festivals as well as the Kumbh Mela,
which is hel every 12 years and is attended by millions of devotees.

(a) Banderpoonch peak, the source of Yamuna, as seen from Mussoorie

(b) Vishram Ghat, on the Yamuna at Mathura in Uttar Pradesh

Yamunotri, which is north of Haridwar in the Himalayan Mountains, is the source of the
Yamuna. The river Yamuna, a major tributary of river Ganges, originates from the Yamunotri
glacier near Banderpoonch peaks (380 59' N 780 27' E) in the Mussourie range of the lower
Himalayas at an elevation of about 6387 meters above mean sea level in district Uttarkashi
(Uttranchal).The track along the river bank is quite magnificient dominated by wide panorama of
mountains. It is said that the temple of Yamunotri was built by Maharani Gularia of Jaipur in the
last decade of the 19th century. In 1923, this was destroyed, with only the idols left, and was
rebuild. It was once again damaged in 1982. A hot water pool at Yamunotri is used for the
prepartion of “PRASAD”. Normally, rice and potatos are cooked in cloth bags by dipping them
in the hot water. In its first 170 km stretch, the tributaries Rishi Ganga Kunta, Hanuman Ganga,
Tons and Giri join the main river.

The Tons, largest tributary of the Yamuna, has some magical spots in it's upper reaches. Forests
of Alder and Blue pine lead to the famous Har-ki-Dun catchment area, source of another
tributary, the Rupin. Har-ki-Dun is a spectacular valley high up, an amphitheatre ringed on three
sides by spurs of the Great Himalaya. A wonderland with vast grassy alps that inspire a sense of
solitude that only the high Himalaya can inspire. The Rupin makes a spectacular precipitous
descent through a narrow valley.

Fortunately the valley of the Tons has been protected, by whatever fates, from the surrounding
human [Link] the upper reaches of the Tons river is situated the Gobind Pashu Vihar
Sanctuary, a high altitude preserve and is approached from the Rupin valley near Natwar. This
spectacular sanctuary, ringed by high peaks and hemmed in on three sides by ice fields and snow
beds, this amphitheatre is the source of the Tons river and home to many high altitude bird
species like snow cock, snow partridge and the Monal pheasant.

Another little known fact about the Yamuna is that it is the frontier of the Indian elephant. West
of the Yamuna, there is no elephant in 900 Km of the western Himalaya or its foothills. The
forests of the lower Yamuna offer ideal corridors for elephant movement and the principal
forests to be found here are of Sal, Khair Sissoo trees and the Shivalik chir- pine forests.

Arising from the source, river Yamuna flows through a series of valleys for about 200 Kms, in
lower Himalayas and emerges into Indo-Gangetic plains. In the upper reaches, the main valley is
overlooked by numerous hanging valleys, carved by glaciers during the last ice ages. The
gradient of the river is steep here and the entire geomorphology of the valley has been influenced
by the passage of the river. In the upper stretch of 200 Km, it draws water from several major
streams. The combined stream flows through the Shivalik range of hills of Himachal Pradesh and
Uttaranchal states of India and enters into plains at Dak Pathar in Uttranchal where the river
water is regulated through weir and diverted into canal for power generation. From Dak Pathar it
flows through the famous Sikh religious place of Poanta Sahib. On the right side of the Yamuna
basin is the Mussourie spur-along which, lies sprawled, the hill station of Mussourie. Flowing
through Poanta Sahib it reaches Hathnikund/Tajewala in Yamuna Nagar district of Haryana
state, where the river water is again diverted into Western Yamuna canal and Eastern Yamuna
canal for irrigation. During dry season, only environmental flow of 160 cusec is allowed to flow
in the river downstream to Tajewala barrage and the river remains dry in some stretches between
Tajewala & Delhi. The river regain water because of ground water accrual, contributions of
feeding canal through Som nadi (seasonal stream) upstream of Kalanaur and through drain no.8
upstream of Palla. It enters Delhi near Palla village after traversing a route of about 224 Km.

Distinguished Independent Segments of River Yamuna

Himalayan Segment -From origin to Tajewala Barrage (172 kms)

Upper Segment- Tajewala Barrage to Wazirabad Barrage (224 kms)

Delhi Segment- Wazirabad Barrage to Okhla Barrage (22 kms)

Eutriphicated Segment -Okhla Barrage to Chambal Confluence (490 kms)

Diluted Segment Chambal Confluence to Ganga Confluence (468 kms)

The river is again tapped at Wazirabad through a barrage for drinking water supply to Delhi.
Generally, no water is allowed to flow beyond Wazirabad barrage in dry season, as the pond
level is being maintained at Wazirabad as per Hon’able Supreme Court Order. Whatever water
flows in the downstream of Wazirabad barrage is the untreated or partially treated domestic and
industrial wastewater contributed through several drains along with the water transported by
Haryana Irrigation Department from Western Yamuna Canal (WYC) to Agra Canal via
Nazafgarh Drain and the Yamuna.

After 22 Km downstream of Wazirabad barrage there is another barrage, Okhla barrage, through
which Yamuna water is diverted into Agra Canal for irrigation. Whatever water flows in the river
beyond Okhla barrage is contributed through domestic and industrial wastewater generated from
East Delhi, Noida and Sahibabad and joins the river through Shahdara drain. The Yamuna after
receiving water through other important tributaries joins the river Ganga and the underground
Saraswati at Prayag (Allahabad) after traversing about 950 Km. Thus, Yamuna river cannot be
designated as continuous river particularly in dry seasons (almost 9 months), but can be
segmented in five distinguished independent segments due to characteristic hydrological and
ecological conditions. The catchments of Yamuna river system cover parts of Uttar Pradesh,
Uttarakhand, Himachal Pradesh, Haryana, Rajasthan, Madhya Pradesh & Delhi states.
Tributaries of River Yamuna
The tributaries of Yamuna account for 70.9% of the catchment area; the balance of 29.1% area
directly drains into the Yamuna River or is occupied by smaller streams. Further, the catchment
area of Yamuna amount to 40.2% of the area of Ganga Basin and 10.7% of the land area of
India.

The important tributaries of the Yamuna River are Tons, Chambal, Hindon, Betwa and Ken.
Other small tributaries of the Yamuna River include the Giri, Sind, Uttangan, Sengar and the
Rind. The main Yamuna and Tons are fed by glaciers, viz., the Bandar Punch Glacier and its
branches and originates from the Great Himalayan range.
Tons River

The Tons is the longest tributary of the Yamuna River and its flows through Garhwal , the
western part of the Himalayan state of Uttaranchal. The river originates at an elevation of 3900
m and join the Yamuna below Kalsi near Dehradun, Uttarakhand. It is one of the most major
perennial Indian Himalayan rivers. It is the biggest tributaries of the Yamuna.

Giri River:

The river Giri is an important tributary of the Yamuna River. It is the main source of water in the
South-Eastern Himachal Pradesh. The Giri is famous in the Jubbal, Rohru hills that rises from
Kupar peak just above Jubbal town after flowing across the heart of Shimla hills and then flows
down in the southeastern direction dividing the Sirmaur district into equal parts that are known
as Cis-Giri and Trans-Giri region and joins Yamuna upstream of Paonta below Mokkampur.

Hindon River

Hindon River is an important tributary of Yamuna River. In fact, this river is sand-witch between
two major rivers: Ganga on the left and Yamuna on the right. Hindon originates from upper
Shiwalik (Lower Himalayas).
Betwa River

The Betwa River is a tributary of Yamuna River. The Betwa river originates at an elevation of
470 m in the Bhopal District in Madhya Pradesh. After traversing a distance of 590 km, the river
joins the Yamuna River near Hamirpur at an elevation of 106,68 m. The total catchment area of
the Betwa River is 46,580 sq km of which 31,971 sq km (68.64%) lies in M.P. and 14,609 sq km
(31.36%) lies in U.P.

Dhasan River

The Dhasan River is a right bank tributary of the Betwa River. The river originates in
Begumganj tehsil of Raisen district in Madhya Pradesh state in central India. The river forms the
southeastern boundary of the Lalitpur District of Uttar Pradesh state. Total length of the river is
365 km, out of which 240 km lies in Madhya Pradesh, 54 km common boundary between
Madhya Pradesh and Uttar Pradesh and 71 km in Uttar Pradesh. The river was known as the
Dasharna in ancient period. There is a water quality station at Garrloi on River Dhasan.

Ken River

Ken is an inter-state river, flowing through the state of Madhya Pradesh and Uttar Pradesh. The
river originates near the village Ahirgawab in Jabalpur District of Madhya Pradesh at an altitude
of 550 m above near sea level and joins the Yamuna River, near Chilla village of U.P. at an
elevation of about 95 m. It forms the common boundary between Panna and Chattarpur district
of M.P. and Banda district (U.P.). The river has a total length of 427 km, out of which 292 km
lies in M.P., 84 km in U.P. and 51 km forms the common boundary. The total catchment area of
the Ken river basin is 28,058 sq km

Sind River

River Sind is one of the second largest right bank tributaries of Yamuna. It rises at a height of
543 m above sea level in Vidisha District of Madhya Pradesh. It flows generally in north- east
direction for a distance of 415 km before joining Yamuna 20 km upstream of Auraiya. Important
tributaries of Sind are Parwati and Kunwari on its left bank and Pahuj on the right bank. It is
probably river Sindhu mentioned in epic Vishnu Purana.

River Chambal
The Chambal River, called Charmanvati in ancient times, is the largest of the rivers flowing
through Rajasthan state. This tributary of Yamuna is 960km long. The total area drained by the
Chambal up to its confluence with the Yamuna is 143,219 sq km out of which 76,854 sq km lies
in M.P. state, 65,264 sq km in Rajasthan state and 1,101 sq km in Uttar Pradesh. River Chambal,
the biggest tributary of Yamuna rises in Vindhyan range near Mhow in Indore District of
Madhya Pradesh at an elevation of 354 m at north latitude 22° 28' and east longitude 75° 40'.
Chambal basin is bound on north by the ridge separating it from Luni and Yamuna basins, on the
south by Vindhyan range and on the west by Aravali range, on east lies the ridge separating it
from Kunwari and Sind rivers of Yamuna basin Chambal basin lies between north latitudes 22°
27' and 27° 20' and east longitudes 73° 20' and 79° 15'. Its total catchment area is 1,39,468
[Link]. It flows initially in north direction for a length of 320 km upto Madhya Pradesh,
Rajasthan Border. In this reach Chamla, Siwan and Ratlam rivers join river Chambal from the
left and Sipra and Chhoti Kalisindh from the right. The river then enters Rajasthan and after
flowing for a distance of 38 km turns clockwise and takes a north easterly course. At 428 km
from its origin, it receives its major tributary Kalisindh from the right near the village Laban and
further 22 km below another tributary Mej from the left. The river continues to flow in north
easterly direction for a further distance of 40 km when it is joined by another major right bank
tributary Parwati near village Pali. Thus, the river flows in Madhya Pradesh for a length of 320
km. River Chambal then forms a common boundary between Madhya Pradesh and Rajasthan for
a length of 251 km River Banas, a major left bank tributary joins Chambal in this reach near
village Rameshwar. Thus, the river flows in Rajasthan for a length of 226 km The river then
forms common boundary between Madhya Pradesh and Uttar Pradesh for 117 km and continues
in northeasterly direction upto village Pinhat. It then gradually turns right and flows in south –
easterly direction to enter in Uttar Pradesh, north west of village Chakar Nagar. After flowing for
46 km in Uttar Pradesh, the river outfalls into Yamuna southeast of village Sehon in Etawah
District of Uttar Pradesh.
Usages of the Yamuna River
Water The Yamuna River sustains all forms of life along its banks and various social and
commercial activitiesdepend on it (Upadhyay et al., 2010). Itis the major source of drinking
water to millions of Indiansand hasmultiple other uses (Ali and Jain, 2001). The Yamuna Basin
is of great economic significance due to its fertility and high productivity, particularly many
parts of Uttar Pradesh and Haryana (Maheshwari et al., 2011). Some well-designated uses of the
water of the Yamuna River are as follows: -

Drinking water - Bathing water – Irrigation - Livestock use - Industrial use - Navigation -
Aesthetics - Recreation and - Religious and Cultural

The availability water of the Yamuna River varies greatly with time and space with 80% of the water
flowing in it in the Monsoon period (July, August and September) whereas whatever water is available in
it in the non-monsoon period (October to June) is widely used for irrigation and drinking, leaving very
little water in the river to flow (CPCB 2010). Along its course, the water of Yamuna River is abstracted for
a variety of purposes such as about 94% for irrigation, 4% for domestic use, and 2% for the industries.
The river water is extensively abstracted at Hathnikund / Tajewala and Okhla [Link] annual
abstraction at various locations is depicted inTable 3.

Pollution in the Yamuna River and its

major Sources
The Yamuna River is one of the most contaminated rivers of India (CPCB 2010; Misra,
A.K.,2010). Untreated or partially treated domestic sewage, industrial effluents and agricultural
effluents are the major contributors of pollution in the river. The cities along side the Yamuna
River release loads of contaminants in it. Due to its religious, cultural, social and economic
significance the Yamuna River flows in the hearts of many Indians, but unfortunately like many
other riverine systems of the country, it too is affected by the setbacks of industrialization,
urbanization and rapid agricultural developments (Maheshwari et al.,2011). In his study C.K.
Jain (2004) reported that due to industrialisation in the towns along the Yamuna River basin, all
the industrial effluent find its way into it. He also reported that the tributaries of the Yamuna
River also transferred their pollution load into [Link] is consumed for different activities which
generate a lot of wastewater causing deterioration of water quality of Yamuna River. Various
point and non-point sources contribute to the contamination of the Yamuna River.

Point sources
Point sources are organized sources of pollution with measurable pollution load (CPCB 2008).
These sources include surface drains carrying municipal sewage or industrial wastes; sewage
pumping stations etc.

-Domestic pollution :- Domestic pollution accounts for 85% of the pollution in the Yamuna
River and is sourced to the major cities along the river (CPCB 2010). These cities include Delhi,
Ghaziabad, Mathura-Vrindavan, Agra, Etawah, Panipat, Sonepat and [Link] domestic
waste majorly comprises of organic matter and microrganisms, salts, detergents, nutrients, oil
and grease and others.

-Industrial pollution:- A number of towns along the Yamuna River have numerous
industries that discharge their waste water into the Yamuna. According to the CPCB (2009)
report, ―the industries include textile, chemical, pharmaceuticals, oil refineries, sugar, paper and
pulp Leather, thermal power, fertilizers,food industries, etc. were set up in many cities in

the Yamuna basin‖. Many of these have poor environment management systems anddischarge
untreated or partially treated waste water containing toxic and organic effluents into the river,
thus contributing to the degradation of water quality.
Non-point sources
Non-point sources are the numerous diffused and unspecified sources of pollution and are non-
measurable as the amount of pollution generated by each source is less. These include the
organic matter, residues of plants, topsoil, microbes, toxicants etc. (CPCB 2009).Such sources
are influenced by the land-use patterns in the overall watershed and include sources from both,
the natural processes and the anthropogenic inputs (Ritchie, Zimba and Everitt, 2003). The chief
non-point pollution sources are:

 Agricultural runoffs

 Dumping of solid waste, dead bodies, animal carcasses etc.

 Immersion of idols made of Plaster of Paris, ashes and floral offerings

 Pollution due to in-stream use of water, such as bathing, washing, cattle wading and open
defecation.

5. Segment wise trends in key parameters of the Yamuna River from 2010 to 2012

The Water quality of a river is assessed and categorized with reference to its designated uses,
viz;

a) Raw water fit for drinking purposes,

b) Raw water fit for bathing purposes, and

c) Raw water fit for agricultural use.

The above stated categorization of water for its various uses is based on some basic parameters
like the Dissolved Oxygen (DO), Biochemical Oxygen Demand (BOD),Fecal coliform and Total
Coliform (TC) etc. The present paper assesses the trends in two critical parameters viz.
Dissolved Oxygen (DO) and Biological Oxygen Demand (BOD) for the time period of 2010 to
2012 in the five segments of the Yamuna River.

5.1 Trends in Dissolved Oxygen (DO) of the Yamuna River (2010-2012)

All the aquatic organisms need sufficient amounts of dissolved oxygen for their survival.
Production and consumption of oxygen happen in stream systems. The oxygen present in water
can be dissolved from the atmosphere or is produced by photosynthesis by organisms like algae
and other aquatic plants. In water, oxygen is consumed by animal respiration, decomposition and
in-stream chemical reactions.
Oxygen is measured in its dissolved form as dissolved oxygen (DO) and is an important
indicator of the ability of the water body to support aquatic life. Thus D.O. reflects the physical
and biological process prevailing in the water system; therefore, its measurement is of prime
importance. Clean waters are normally saturated with dissolved oxygen, which can easily deplete
by the discharge of oxygen demanding wastes. Major depletion in oxygen levels indicates heavy
pollution by organic matter, the main sources of which are domestic sewage, agricultural run offs
and food processing industries (Pande and Sharma, 1998).

DO is vital for the survival of aquatic organisms such as plants, micro-organisms, invertebrates
and most importantly for fish which need to breathe just as we do. It is generally true that if the
water quality is suitable to support fish life , then it will also meet the criteria for most, if not all
the designated uses of water and indicate good ecological status. A decline in the DO level in
water bodies not only affects some sensitive animals that may move away, weaken or even die,
but according to (Pande and Sharma 1998) also reduces the self - purifying capacity of water. It
also mobilizes the trace metals (Murphy 2007).

The concentration of dissolved oxygen (DO) in rivers varies seasonally and is ―influenced by
chemical, physical, and biochemical activities such as rate and period of photosynthesis, its
consumption by aquatic organisms, water temperature and altitude‖ (CPCB, 2011). The above
figure 2 shows the trends in the minimum and maximum values of dissolved oxygen in five
Figure 2 clearly depicts that in the Himalayan segment the Yamuna River is healthy with good
amounts of dissolved oxygen it in and meets the primary water quality criteria. However the
river at Yamunotri does show a decreasing trend in the amount of DO from the year 2010 to
[Link] the Delhi segment the river water is deficient in dissolved oxygen, so much so that its
concentration is nil (0 mg/l) at the Okhla bridge and falls far below the standard 4 mg/l level of
DO as given by CPCB. This is mainly due to unprecedented discharge of domestic and
municipal waste into the river that are then responsible for high oxygen demand. The river water
in this segment does not meet the primary water quality criteria. Low values of DO here is a sign
of the river being unhealthy with persisting septic and eutrophic conditions and having no
capacity of self purification. However, the trends do show a minor increase in the DO here from
the year 2010 to 2012 but still it is far below the desirable limit. In the eutrophicated and dilute
segments the concentration of DO meet the standard limit, but show a decreasing trend in the DO
levels from 2010 to 2012 indicating increasing pollution in the river in these segments.

5.2 Trends in Biochemical Oxygen Demand(B.O.D.) of the Yamuna Riverfrom 2010 to

2012

Biochemical oxygen demand (B.O.D.) is an approximate measure of the oxygen consumed by

the microorganisms in decomposing organic matter present in a water body under aerobic
conditions. It also measures the chemical oxidation of inorganic [Link] is an empirical test, in
which standardized laboratory procedures are used to estimate the relative oxygen requirements
of wastewaters, effluents and polluted waters. The micro-organisms use the atmospheric oxygen
dissolved in water for biochemical oxidation of organic matter, which is their source of carbon.
As the concentration of DO in water is directly influenced by the BOD hence very high
concentration of BOD or inversely very low concentration of DO has hazardous effects on the
river’s biodiversity and may lead to mass-death of aquatic organisms (Upadhyay et al., 2010).
High BOD leads to rapid depletion of oxygen from the streams, consequently, less oxygen is
available to higher forms of aquatic animals resulting in suffocation and death of aquatic
organisms. Figure 3 below represents the trends in the values of BOD of the Yamuna River from
2010 to [Link] the Himalayan segment the observed value of BOD ranges between 0-3 mg/l
and meets the desired standard. This is mainly due to the availability of adequate fresh water in
the river and no significant discharge of waste water. In the upper segment the BOD ranges from
1- 4 mg/l and does not meet the desired limit at many stations. This is due to the industrial,
human and animal inputs in this segment. In the Delhi segment it receives heavy loads of
untreated or partially treated waste waters from the 22 drains in the National Capital Region and
hence we observe a significant increase in the BOD level ranging between 3 to 40 mg/l. The
average BOD values do not meet the desired water quality criteria in this segment upto the
confluence with the Chambal river. The water quality in the Delhi segment does not meet the
bathing criteria Also the figure clearly shows an increasing trend in the BOD levels from 2010 to
2012 mainly due to increase in organic matter in the [Link] the eutrophicated segment the BOD
level exceeds the desirable limit. In the diluted segment, however the levels again tend to
decrease to meet the desired criteria and this is due to the Chambal tributary of Yamuna that
breathes new life into it

6. Conclusion and solutions

As is evident from the above comparative analysis of water quality of the Yamuna River in terms
of two critical parameters viz Dissolved Oxygen and Biological Oxygen Demand from 2010 to
2012 show variations from segment to segment and also year to year. Generally a healthy river
should contain at least 5mg/l of Dissolved Oxygen (DO) and a maximum of 3mg/l of
Biochemical Oxygen Demand (BOD) in its water. The Yamuna River in the Himalayan segment
has good water quality with no discharge of sewage into it and shows good ecological health up
to the upper segment, but gets polluted at the point when it enters Delhi (CPCB 2009;Upadhyay
et al. 2010). It meets the primary water quality criteria and is suitable for its designated best uses.

Water of the Yamuna River, as it enters the Delhi Segment is of acceptable quality and is
adequately suitable for sustaining the life forms, but after this point it gets polluted due to
anthropogenic pressure and aggravating pollution load from the National Capital Region, thus
becoming highly polluted downstream. Statistical data of (CPCB2010,2011 and 2012)clearly
show that the stretch between Wazirabad and Okhla is the most heavily polluted. Here the river
water is characterized by high amounts of organic and pathogenic contamination, turbid
appearance, strong and unpleasant odor-thus indicating a depletion of oxygen, very high values
of BOD and very low values of DO, which is even, zero in the Delhi segment thus reflecting
high organic pollution and eutrophication in this segment (CPCB 2010; Malik et al., 2014).
According to the CPCB reports (2010-2012) ―here, the Dissolved Oxygen (DO) count is
averaged at (1.85mg/l)and Biochemical Oxygen Demand (BOD) count is averaged at (17.1
mg/l), from 2010 to 2012 thus indicating considerable deterioration in water quality in the stretch
due to discharge of sewage and industrial effluents and is far below the bathing standards‖. The
water quality from the DO and BOD point of view is not fit for designated best uses in the Delhi
segment.

In the eutrophicated segment the river undergoesa self-purification process as is indicated by the
decreasing trend in the concentration of BOD averaged at 11.8 mg/L whencompared with the
Delhi stretch for the same time period. While in the last, diluted segment the river water is
relatively [Link], it can be concluded that the water of the major part of the Yamuna River
can hardly fulfil the designated [Link] ofnumerous steps taken for the restoration of the
water quality of Yamuna and investing crores of rupees on ambitious projects like YAP I, II and
YAP III, which focused primarily on Delhi as it is the most critical segment the pollution level
has not improved much specially in the most critical Delhi segment where the CPCB reports
indicate reduction in the the pollution load but not in the pollution status of thr Yamuna River.
Following are some effective ways to achieve restoration and conservation of the Yamuna

Proper Sewage Management

 Sewage is one of the main sources of pollution in the Yamuna River and untreated or partially
treated sewage effluents are still being discharged into the river. It calls for a total ban on such
discharges and an effective legislation on it.

 The capacity of existing sewage treatment plants STPs should be increased and more sewage
treatment plants of greater capacity should to be constructed.

 New technologies to reduce the BOD levels to below 10 mg/L should be implemented.

 The water authorities of Delhi are already in progress with an innovative master sewage plan
2031 for sewered and unsewered areas to effectively manage the wastewater system of the
National Capital Territory.

Effective Solid Waste Management:

 Due to rapid urbanization along the Yamuna River a lot of solid waste is being generated
everyday, adding to the pollution load on the river due to lack of proper solid waste management
and disposal system. Most of the towns and cities need proper and adequate solid waste
management systems and recycle and reuse units for effective waste management.
 New landfill sites are required for proper disposal of the ever increasing solid waste. These
should be designed on the WHO standards.

 Since waste reduction and waste reuse and recycling are good methods of waste prevention as
they not only eliminate the production of waste at its source of generation but also reduces the
demand for waste treatment and disposal facilities. Keeping this in view, the public should be
made aware and encouraged to use various ways of waste reduction in everyday life.

 Any developmental activity within the river zone should be restricted.

Community-based approach to address water related problems

Creating awareness among people about pollution in Yamuna River and its ill effects on the lives
of people is very important. This can be done by the joint venture of public-private
[Link] role of local institutions such as the Panchayats should be increased. Active
community participation is the need of the hour for monitoring, management and restoration of
the Yamuna [Link] of public in program design helps ensure the smooth running of
the programs (EPA, 1995).

Role of science and technology

New techniques should be used to develop suitable technologies to manage solid waste such as
encouraging the emergence and development of industrial ecology where there is no such thing
as waste but only resources. Where waste from one activity is input of raw materials for another
activity. Such technologies will pave way for integrated waste management (IWM) which is best
defined as a set of management alternatives, including reuse, source reduction, recycling,
composting, landfill and incineration and pyrolysis a good and Eco friendly alternative to
incineration for the thermal decomposition of solid wastes in an inert atmosphere

Improved agricultural practices

The unscientific use of chemical fertilizers, insecticides and pesticides in agriculture has
significantly contributed to pollution in the Yamuna River. The agricultural practices need to be
improved to minimize the effects of the chemicals. This can be done by some of the following
ways:

 Employing organic or biological farming methods and prohibiting the use of pesticides,
insecticides and fertilizers for agriculture in the river basin. [Link] 1220 International
Journal of Scientific Research Engineering & Technology (IJSRET), ISSN 2278 – 0882 Volume
4, Issue 12, December 2015

 Creating awareness among the farmers to avail facilities of programs like Kisaan Call Centre
run by the ministry of agriculture for solving all their agriculture related queries including
scientific guidance on the use of chemical fertilizers in cultivation, easily accessible through
phones and mobiles;

 Emphasizing the use of bio-fertilizers which have least chemical constituents and

 Efforts should be made to reduce and prevent soil erosion in the river catchment area through
vegetation cover. A suggested way is the development of Greenways along the drains. These
severe for many other purposes, contributing to the conservation of the river.

Constructive Interactions
Interactions among consumers, policymakers, researchers, and industry representatives are
needed to share their experiences and ideas about water quality management and propose
sustainable and cost-effective solutions. There is also a need for continued interaction among
scientists with different backgrounds, experiences, and knowledge bases to find solutions to the
challenges of water availability, quality, and remediation and to explore ways for chemical,
physical and biological solutions for dealing with water-related problems. Lessons should be
learnt from the success stories of the Rhine river (Europe), Thames river (England), Seine river
(France) Missisippi river (USA), etc. for planning the cleanup action for the Yamuna River

Yamuna Action Plan

The Yamuna Action Plan is a bilateral project between the Government of India and Japan,
introduced in 1993. It is one of the largest river restoration projects in India. The Government of
Japan, via the Japan Bank for International Cooperation (JBIC), has provided financial aid to
carry out the project, which is being executed by the National River Conservation Directorate,
the Ministry of Environment and Forests, and the Government of India. Phase I, which began in
1993, marked its end in 2003, even though it was expected to be completed by 2000.

Yamuna Action Plan Phase II

The Yamuna Action Plan Project Phase II, begun in 2003, is regarded as the core project under
the National River Conservation Plan of Government of India. The project addresses the
abatement of severe pollution of the River Yamuna by raising sewage treatment capacity, caused
by rapid population growth, industrialization and urbanization in the towns of the river basin,
which includes Delhi, the capital of India. Building new sewage treatment plants and expanding
capacity of old ones and laying and rehabilitating sewers will be done to enhance the treatment
capacity particularly in Delhi and Agra. These works will lead to improvement of the sanitation
conditions for the residents of towns in the river basin. Public participation and awareness
activities which are part of the project shall ensure the residents' recognition of the necessity of
water quality conservation in the River Yamuna, and would establish linkage between the river
conservation and their own living environments.
As of 2019 the project was still going forward with an additional phase to clean pollution from
the river. The Yamuna is a tributary of the Ganges. Water Resources Minister Mr. Gadkari was
hopeful that the Ganges River will be completely free of pollution by March 2020

Delhi government prepares 5-point action plan to clean Yamuna by 2025

The Delhi government has prepared a five-point action plan to clear the main
drains of the city and ensure only treated water flows into the Yamuna.

According to the plan, in-situ treatment zones will be created at 10 different

places in Najafgarh, Supplementary, and Shahdara drains. In-situ treatment
methods will include floating booms, weirs, aeration devices, and floating
wetlands. Apart from this, chemical dosing will be done at strategic locations
to reduce the phosphate content in the wastewater.