New research urges paradigm shift in strategies for cleaning Yamuna

New Delhi, Aug 6 (UNI) Merely constructing wastewater drains and sewage treatment plants may not be only the only solution to help clean the Yamuna and there is an urgent need for a paradigm shift in the strategies being undertaken for the purpose, says a new research paper.

''The quality restoration of any river, especially of the Yamuna, is a very complex and interdisciplinary endeavour. The required strategy for pollution control should not only be multi-line approach but also be fool proof,'' the paper 'Revival of Mathura's Ailing Yamuna River' says.

The research has taken the Mathura stretch of the Yamuna for sampling and suggests measures which, according to it, can be applied with equal effectiveness in Delhi too.

According to the study there were seven sources of pollution in the Yamuna which includes, domestic waste water, industrial wastes, solid wastes and dumping of holy materials.

Work for abatement of pollution in rivers started with the launching of Ganga Action Plan (GAP) Phase-I in 1985. Subsequently, GAP Phase-II was initiated which included the works on the major tributaries of the river Ganga, namely, Yamuna, Gomti and Damodar.

The Plan was further broad based to cover all the major rivers of the country under the National River Conservation Plan (NRCP) in 1995. The programme now covers 34 rivers with works undertaken in 160 towns spread across 20 States.

A review of the Ganga Action Plan (GAP) shows that despite its many shortcomings, it has delivered significant benefits. The pollution load has nearly doubled, but the Ministry of Environment&Forests, on the strength of independent studies, claims significant improvement in the water quality of the river.

The National River Conservation Directorate (NRCD), and the Central Pollution Control Board (CPCB) stated in their reports that the 22 kilometres of the Yamuna running through Delhi was its most polluted stretch.

The Yamuna enters Delhi at the Wazirabad Barrage, at which point water is drawn for Delhi's needs, and the river that flows through the city consists mainly of sewage discharged from 17 drains.

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