We are all to blame for Yamuna

There has been a collective failure to revive the Yamuna. The truth of the matter is Delhi has 22 sewer drains opening into the river, polluting both air and water. These drains pass through thickly populated areas. On a daily basis, 2, 500 million litres of waste water flows into it every day, ultimately polluting Yamuna river.

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"But should Indians be surprised? Today they take water from their rivers — for irrigation, drinking and hydro-electric plants — and give back waste. Water no more flows in its rivers. It is the load of excreta and industrial effluent."

"These lost rivers are our collective shame." "Coming generations will forget that the Yamuna, Cauvery and the Damodar were rivers. They will know them as drains, only drains." states 7th Report, State of India’s Environment, CSE.

Sri Sri brought international attention to a dead Yamuna river

Let us first evaluate the extensive damage to the floodplains of Yamuna over the course of history:

The Wetlands International, in its study clearly points it out: the floodplains of Yamuna have been predominantly converted for agriculture and have a historical record of damage.

In spite of the National Green Tribunal (NGT) ban on agriculture in 2015, farming is still rampant on the alleged pristine floodplains of Yamuna. Further, conversation with a local contract farmer reveals there are multiple land owners, who reside elsewhere.

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Farmers have been historically compacting and ploughing soil on the floodplains of Yamuna with tractors, causing environmental damage.

When did the pristine river sand and wetlands ecosystem disappear and give way to agriculture? Why were tractors running on Yamuna floodplains' natural vegetation for decades, compacting soil a multiple number of times?

Chemical farming has had a large-scale "irreversible effect" on the floodplains of the Yamuna. Despite DDA putting a stop, agriculture continues and no livelihood schemes for rehabilitating farmers are in place. Illegal farmers continue to live in dire conditions.

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We need to judiciously evaluate the historical damage on floodplains versus an event which brought these issues to the limelight. Have we done enough research on the historical impacts on floodplains?

Further, the floodplains are heavily encroached. Permanent structures like Barapullah, Commonwealth Games Village, Mayawati's Dalit Park and so on exist to date.

There is a clear lack of collective responsibility in rehabilitating the floodplains.

Toxic agriculture on the floodplains of Yamuna

Needless to say, the floodplains used for agriculture are highly toxic and contaminated. Quoting TERI University, "Soil samples were collected from the river bank… The vegetables growing in this soil absorbs the contaminants. These vegetables become the carriers of heavy metals in our food chain."

Even if we champion the farmers cause, we are allowing toxic vegetables with biomagnified concentrations of heavy metals in the food chain, to cause serious health issues.

Yamuna wetlands' vegetation damaged on floodplains

The vegetation of this particular terrain reveals that it is an ecologically fragile riparian wetlands ecosystem. However, a study by Wetlands International states, "Forest Department without understanding nature of the floodplain system has profusely undertaken plantation within the stretch."

A rampant grass strain called Prosopis Juliflora, a native American invasive grass species has for years stopped the native vegetation on the Yamuna from thriving. It is hardy because it grows next to a dead river, a highly chemical environment.

Further to quote Prof CR Babu, "The habitat loss has been caused by regulatory plant species. Nowhere in the world, Prosopis Juliflora, locally called Kabuli Kikkar, is planted for green cover. The plant has very strong tuber roots, reaches the ground water aquifers for nourishment, dries up the sub-soil moisture, kills grass and plant species, but is of no use to man. It was planted in the British module of plantation."

The floodplains are far from being preserved. NGT claims the Art of Living has cleared out natural vegetation and covered puddles.

However, Art of Living in an interview revealed first-hand data about the actual state of the Yamuna floodplains: "The team which first surveyed the floodplains found tons of construction waste and mounds of plastic. Only after permission and instruction from DDA, truckloads of malba, spread over 25-30 acres of land (near the main road) were removed."

This means dumping of construction waste, ongoing for decades, has received little limelight until now. If land was 90 per cent agricultural, there is no question of the entire wetlands ecosystem cleared, as per the NGT report.

Loss of existing biodiversity due to sewage in Yamuna

The sewage ingested into the Yamuna needs to be dealt with. Quoting Wetlands International, "Water quality strongly influenced distribution and extent of biodiversity."

Focus is being shifted from the main issue. The polluter’s pay principle applies at the point source. How do we implement decentralised waste water sewage treatment solutions? Why do we have dysfunctional sewage treatment plants, and very few of them?

False claims of birdwatching paradise on Yamuna floodplains

Feedback from active birding groups of Delhi came with growing concerns on declining bird populations and growing toxicity of the Yamuna. Bird breeding areas include Okhla Bird Sanctuary, Sultanpur National Park, Asola Wildlife Sanctuary, Delhi Ridge, Delhi Zoo and Yamuna Biodiversity Park.

Every year, popular print media has been reporting decline in bird population to a further low. Can we have policy makers bear the collective brunt of inaction of sharply falling bird populations, like in Okhla Bird Sanctuary?

A local farmer has clearly testified, "There is only sewage and stench. Birds in this area, is unimaginable! Only birds that you find here are scavenging birds - eagles and vultures."

Who needs to pay environmental compensation and for what purpose?

The fact is not enough research has been done on the historical impacts on floodplains. Who pays for damage to the Yamuna caused by both agriculture and sewage? 

And let us not further get into facts and figures of the illegal constructions on the banks of Yamuna and the destruction of the floodplains in the name of building the Barapullah flyover, Metro, Commonwealth Games Village and Akshardham temple.

All these have caused and will continue to create permanent damage. Mayawati's Dalit park could have been easily utilised and rehabilitated for creating a biodiversity park, with some statues as showpieces.

What are we doing about these illegal permanent constructions? Why haven’t repeated PILs being filed on moving NGT to remove permanent concrete constructions versus temporary structures? After all permanent structures have a permanent damage on the floodplain.

We need to hereby charter a course of action, as per NGT guidelines, weighing irreversible historic damage versus a temporary event which brought the issue on an international compass.

After all, who pays environmental compensation for the brunt of past inaction of government, other organisations and Delhi residents? Yamuna pays the brunt of collective inaction by dying a slow death.

Restoration of Yamuna

A people’s movement can revive a dying river and its floodplains with collective demand. Let’s not play the blame game. We have an issue at hand while Yamuna flows on with the ingestion of sewage every second.

Let’s have a dialogue on a proactive platform and take concrete action, bringing all stakeholders together. Jamuna ji is dead due to our collective failure! Let’s focus on reviving the drain into a river and the floodplains back to the natural habitat where Jamuna ji belongs.