Struggling Waters: The Race to Rejuvenate the Yamuna River

Only 13 of the 33 water quality monitoring stations on the Yamuna river across five states currently meet the required bathing standards, according to a government announcement on Monday. The persistent issue stems from the discharge of untreated sewage, particularly affecting areas in Delhi.

Minister of State for Jal Shakti, Raj Bhushan Choudhary, highlighted in the Rajya Sabha that a 645.55 million litres per day treatment gap exists as of June 2025, as reported by the Delhi Pollution Control Committee (DPCC). This situation is exacerbated by the absence of common effluent treatment plants and delays in sewage plant upgrades.

The National Mission for Clean Ganga (NMCG) is actively working to mitigate these problems through the Namami Gange programme, funding projects across Himachal Pradesh, Haryana, Delhi, and Uttar Pradesh. To date, the NMCG has sanctioned 35 projects, with 21 completed, to increase sewage treatment capacity significantly.

(With inputs from agencies.)