No potable water in villages along Delhi-Agra Yamuna stretch

New Delhi, June 15 (UNI) With contamination of the Yamuna water continuing unabated, potable water has almost become extinct in the villages along the 250 Km stretch of the river from Delhi to Agra.

Water of only one village along the stretch has been found potable. The testing was carried out by a team of water activists and experts who recently undertook a journey from Delhi to Agra along the river under the Yamuna Jiye Abhiyan which is working vigorously to save the river.

''The preliminary results have shown that water coming through hand pumps in all the villages execpt one was not fit for human consumption,'' Dr Manoj Kumar Misra of the Yamuna Jiye Abhiyan told UNI.

The sample of the water found potable was taken from Owa village in Mathura district, he said.

''During the yatra taken with the slogan 'Qutub se Taj, Ek hi Awaaz, Jiye Jamuna jiye Janjan, we found that Yamuna still lives very much in the people's mind, and they were more than willing to support any move or movement for restoring the river its original glory,'' said Dr Misra, who is intensely involved in the movement for cleaning the river, he said .

Dr Misra said the purpose of the journey was to see the river at close quarters and find out what exactly ails the river which was lifeline to many habitations.

Yamuna, a major tributary to the holy river Ganga, is itself considered one of the holiest rivers of the country. It is the source of drinking water for millions. Besides, its water is also used for for bathing and irrigation.

In the recent decades, the river had become heavily polluted due to various reasons, main of which is discharge of untreated domestic wastewater and other wastes from the towns located along its banks.

Delhi alone contributes around 3,296 MLD (million litres per day) of sewage to the river through, which is more than that of all the Class two cities of the country put together.

The Government has launched a (Yamuna Action Plan-YAP) since 1993 for cleaning the river in its various stretches encompassing 12 towns of Haryana, eight towns of Uttar Pradesh, including Agra, and Delhi.

However, the Action Plan has failed to make any substantial difference.

UNI NAZ SY DB123