Yamuna Awaits A Kiss Of Life

Why is Yamuna so polluted in Delhi? Crippled by decades of neglect and pollution, it poses a daunting restoration challenge. A look at the complexities and efforts to revive this vital waterway

- PRABHAT SHUKLA & SHEKHAR SINGH

The AAP might not admit it, but its spectacular meltdown in Delhi was partly due to the misfiring of its Yamuna pollution card during the recent assembly elections. Despite tall claims and two consecutive mandates, the AAP government failed to deliver on its promise to clean up the river, which flows 52 km across Delhi and courses through 15 of its 70 assembly constituencies.

At present, the Yamuna is more of a toxic waterbody in the Capital, with parts of it resembling a sewer rather than a river.

AAP national convenor Arvind Kejriwal tripped when he sought to shift the Yamuna blame on the BJP to change the discourse. On January 27, he accused the BJP government in Haryana of poisoning water supplied to Delhi through the Yamuna, calling it an attempt at genocide. But his attempt to weaponise the rise in harmful ammonia levels in the river—which led to the shutdown of three water treatment plants, impacting water supply for 30% of the city's residents—bombed big time.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi led the BJP pushback, calling it an insult to Haryana. The result: 12 of the BJP's 14 candidates of Haryanvi descent won their respective seats—as against four of the AAP's 10 Haryanvi candidates. In 2020, the AAP had dominated the Yamuna belt, winning 13 of 15 seats there.

In his victory speech after the elections, Modi said, "I pledged during the campaign that we will make Yamuna ji the identity of Delhi. No matter how much time or energy it requires, if the resolve is strong, we will have Yamuna ji's blessings." But is it really doable?