INDIA VOTES 2024 Poll Concerns: Delhi locals want government action in response to Yamuna pollution

A major campaign theme once again is the pollution of the Yamuna River as the 18th Lok Sabha elections approach. The ongoing pollution of the Yamuna continues unabated, despite being a longtime worry and a repeated promise on political agendas throughout the years. This raises doubts about the efficacy of previous efforts and the legitimacy of future commitments.

For years, political parties have promised to address the pollution in the Yamuna, but despite their repeated vows, real progress has not been made.

The AAP has controlled the capital for the last nine years and has carried out many plans to clean the river, but significant progress has not yet been made. The Delhi Pollution Control Committee’s data indicates that there is still a noticeable amount of faecal coliform and high biological oxygen demand (BOD) in the Yamuna’s water quality.

When organic matter breaks down aerobically, bacteria and other microbes use up oxygen, which is measured by BOD. On the other hand, fecal coliform bacteria indicate that water has been contaminated by human or animal feces, which may include pathogens and disease-causing substances.

By February 2025, the Yamuna river should be restored to swimming standards, according to a six-point plan released by the Kejriwal administration in 2021. The proposal calls for the building of new sewage treatment plants, the enlargement of current ones, and the shutdown of businesses that now dump waste into rivers. Additionally, initiatives are underway to connect wastewater from “jhuggi jhopri” clusters to the sewage system and, in places where equipment is already in place, to give residential connections.

Even in the 2023–2024 budget session, the Yamuna pollution problem was discussed. But accusations that the administration had stopped cleaning the rivers appeared in November of the same year, according to Lieutenant-Governor VK Saxena. He blamed the Delhi government for the high pollution levels in the Yamuna and said it had used the Supreme Court to change an NGT ruling while changes were being made. “The river cleaning process has been halted by the Delhi government,” he said.

On the other hand, Yamuna pollution was not brought up when Finance Minister Atishi announced this year’s budget in Delhi.

Although the AAP and the BJP have not yet unveiled their manifestos for the forthcoming Lok Sabha elections, Harsh Malhotra, the BJP contender for the east Delhi seat, has included riverfront development and Yamuna cleaning in his 100-day plan.

He voiced his concerns, saying that if elected, his top priorities would be to clean up the Yamuna and create a riverfront that runs from northeast to east Delhi.

A local who lives close to the Yamuna, Jagrati, spoke of the foul stench caused by garbage and pollutants dumped into the river. “The pollution and waste that people throw into the river cause an awful stench when you cross it,” the woman said. It’s horrifying to see a river with such significant religious significance being contaminated by the populace while political parties do nothing to stop it.

Although the Yamuna is contaminated by human waste and hazardous chemical waste from industry, it nevertheless has religious importance for many people. The Bihari group, who perform the Chhath Puja along the riverbed, is most impacted by this pollution since it goes against their religious convictions. Aakansha, a member of the Bihari group, said, “Our religious beliefs are also harmed by the polluted river.”

Shivaram Pandey, president of the Delhi Chhath Puja Samiti, stated that Chhath festivities were not to blame for Yamuna pollution, despite the fact that some people hold devotees who celebrate the puja accountable for the pollution.

Delhi residents are still very concerned about the contamination of the Yamuna and are hoping that political commitments would result in tangible steps to improve the river’s quality. Elections are coming up, therefore the cleaning of the Yamuna is in jeopardy even though the pollution is still harming the locals.