The Yamuna by Kanika Sharma

Religous waste on the banks of the Yamuna

Yamuna- daughter of  Shri Surya Dev and sister of Yama ; revered and worshiped by millions; this favourite haunt of Shri Krishna, that nourishes Braj Bhoomi and carries countless sacred stories in its fold, is choking up.

Having heard of its glorious past and nightmarish present, I decided to visit Kudsia Ghat, a bank of the Yamuna near Kashmiri Gate. No amount of sensitization or orientation on the plight of the river and the level of pollution in it, can prepare someone for the actual stench and repugnant sight of one of India’s most sacred and holiest rivers.

In a moment, I was wrenched out of my “comfort zone” and brought face to face with the black waters of the Yamuna- mirroring the indifference, arrogance and selfishness of our civilization.

One could smell the river before seeing it. Even a hundred meters away, the wind brings the stench of the water into the bus. The colour inky black,blackness impenetrable. This is the place where the water from the largest of Delhi’s twenty two drains joins the river.

However bad the river looks from its shoreline, the only proper way to experience the stinking state of affairs in which it finds itself, is to take a boat ride. “ No one swims here anymore”, the boatman said, “ only those who want to commit suicide”.

The river gives the look of an affluent or perhaps an effluent drain. In the middle of the river, water looked as black as pitch. Methane bubbled up from the depths and plastic bags and other rubbish floated on the surface. Now and then, boat would pass on some piece of rotting organic matter being feasted on by a swarm of mosquitoes. It was difficult to breathe without feeling nauseous. The river gave off a stagnant  smell that only got worse as we went further. No wonder the old boatman had serious respiratory problems.

The 13 miles stretch of Yamuna that runs through the capital is the dirtiest of any river in India, unable to sustain aquatic life and unfit even for animals to bathe in.

What is happening to Yamuna is reflective of what is happening in almost every river in country. The blighting of Yamuna is a symbol of India’s unchecked urban growth and poor oversight.

The government has spent nearly $500 million to clean up the river, most of it going to water-treatment stations, yet the pollution levels have more than doubled from 1993 to2005 and they continue to rise.  

The relationship between the Yamuna and Delhi is a complex one. It surely  is the lifeline of the capital, nourishing more than 60 million people, quenching 70% of Delhi’s thirst and yet it leaves Delhi as a sewer, laden with city’s biological and chemical waste. It reflects the true character of the capital- its flawed planning, unsustainable lifestyle and corruption. It is the dirty underbelly of Delhi.

Yet most of the people in Delhi are oblivious to the river’s condition. It is something they do not have to content with everyday. It is barricaded away from the majority of city by the traffic and VIP memorials. They do not even see it.

Many believe that the river is dead. It just hasn’t been officially cremated yet.