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Yamuna is dying

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9 years ago

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NGT asks Delhi and Haryana govts to study source of Yamuna pollution, find ways to prevent it

~By Ramesh Menon

Both the Delhi and Haryana governments have been directed by a bench headed by Justice Jawad Rahim at the National Green Tribunal (NGT) to figure out how the Yamuna river gets polluted and find ways to deal with it.

Earlier, the NGT had told both the states to hold meetings to resolve the vexed issue of ammonia content in the Yamuna water which is being supplied by Haryana to Delhi. This was because the Delhi Jal Board petitioned the Tribunal pointing out that there was a high content of ammonia.

An analysis by the Central Pollution Control Board showed that the ammonia level in most of the areas was as high as 45 times above the safe limit.

The Delhi Jal Board petition said that the level of ammonia when the water enters Delhi was very high and as the water was heavily polluted it could not be treated for drinking. It warned that there will be a health crisis in the National Capital Region if such water was consumed.

Almost sixty percent of the water supplied in Delhi is from the Yamuna. The river has to absorb around 850 million gallons of sewage per day. Out of this, only about 400 million gallons gets treated by the 33 sewage treatment plants.

The Tribunal said that the Pollution Board and the Jal Board should be involved together to deal with the polluters and check the pollution level.

When the river starts from its source in the Yamunotri glacier in the Himalayas, it is a sight to see as it has clear clean water. Till it reaches Delhi, the Yamuna is a healthy river. As it flows through a stretch of around 20 kilometers meandering through India’s capital city, it chokes on the toxic raw sewage and poisonous industrial effluent that is drained into the river at nearly two dozen points.

When the river enters the city at Wazirabad, the dissolved oxygen content is around 7.5 milligrammes per litre. When the river exits the city, it is down to 1.3 milligrammes. The Central Water Commission says that the river has the highest level of biochemical oxygen demand when it passes through the city.

Union Water Resources and River Development Minister, Uma Bharati says that sewage from Delhi’s drains is responsible for 80 per cent of the pollution in the Yamuna.

Over 600 villages use the Yamuna water for irrigation. Environmentalists warn that this can have a hazardous effect on the health of people consuming the vegetables and fruits that grow in these fields. Even in the mid-nineties, tests on vegetables grown on the Yamuna floodplain were found to have heavy metals.

Over Rs. 2000 crore has been spent till now in attempts to clean the Yamuna.

Many times a year, one can see the whole river turn into a sea of white foam due to increased industrial effluent that directly flows in from the factories in the capital into the river. It has been happening for years now.

I have seen the Yamuna for the last 26 years and the condition has not improved at all despite crores of rupees spent in cleaning the river. Stretches of the river do get cleaned but are polluted again as both dry and wet waste is being thrown into the river day after day.

A lot of it is avoidable. Yamuna is also a sacred river for the Hindus. A lot of religious ceremonies take place on its banks. Flowers are thrown into it and oil lamps are allowed to float away from its shores.

There is also a high content of coliform which is human and animal excreta. In some parts it is hundreds of times more than the safe limit.

Rapid urbanization, untreated sewage, open defecation are some of the reasons why the Yamuna is dying. There are thousands of settlements along the Yamuna that are illegal and so they do not have a sewerage system.

The mess is ironical as last year the High Court of Uttarakhand in a landmark judgment had declared that the Yamuna and the Ganga were living entities. At the moment, death is hanging over the river that is today more of a gutter.

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PM Modi takes aim at critics with Dimagi Naxal remark at SRCC centenary address

PM Modi revived his dimagi Naxal remark at SRCC’s centenary celebrations and spoke about India’s development journey.

Published

7 hours ago

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September 6, 2026

By

PM Modi

Prime Minister Narendra Modi revived his ‘dimagi Naxal’ remark while addressing the centenary celebrations of Shri Ram College of Commerce (SRCC) in Delhi on Saturday, using the term to criticise his opponents.

Speaking to students at the Delhi college, PM Modi described the phrase as a “homeopathic pill” and said it had prompted those he described as “dimagi Naxals” to come forward and reveal their views.

The prime minister also used his address to speak to Gen-Z about India’s development journey and asked students to consider the challenges the country had faced in the past.

PM Modi recalls past crises

During his speech, PM Modi referred to the 2013 Kedarnath disaster and the 2008 global financial crisis while criticising the handling of national emergencies by previous governments.

He said the government at the time of the Kedarnath disaster was shaken and questioned its ability to respond to the crisis.

Referring to the 2008 banking crisis, PM Modi alleged that the government of the time failed to effectively deal with the situation and claimed that India’s banking system was pushed close to collapse.

Prime minister lists challenges faced by his government

PM Modi also highlighted several major global crises that occurred during his government’s tenure.

He mentioned the COVID-19 pandemic, the Russia-Ukraine war, disruptions to global trade and supply chains, and the crisis in West Asia.

The prime minister said there had been concerns that India would struggle during these crises but argued that the country had continued to move forward.

PM Modi’s earlier SRCC visit

PM Modi had earlier visited SRCC in 2013, when he was the chief minister of Gujarat. His speech at the college received significant attention, particularly on social media, ahead of the 2014 Lok Sabha election.

His latest visit came during the college’s centenary celebrations, where his address focused on young people, India’s development ambitions and the challenges faced by the country.

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India Metro Rail Network May Overtake US in 2 Years

India’s metro rail network has reached 1,170 km across 26 cities. Union minister Manohar Lal said the country could overtake the US in network length within two years.

Published

22 hours ago

on

September 5, 2026

By

Manohar Lal Khattar

India is on track to become the country with the second-largest metro rail network in the world after China, with Union Minister Manohar Lal saying the country could overtake the United States within the next two years.

India’s metro rail network has now expanded to 1,170 km across 26 cities. The network is only 216 km shorter than the US metro rail network, which stands at 1,386 km, according to figures cited by the minister.

India’s metro network expands rapidly

Speaking after the inauguration of an extended metro service in Indore, Manohar Lal highlighted the pace at which metro connectivity has grown in India.

He said metro services were operational across just 245 km in five cities when Prime Minister Narendra Modi assumed office in 2014. The network has since expanded to 1,170 km across 26 cities.

The minister said India could overtake the US in terms of metro rail network length in the next two years and become the world’s second-largest country in this segment after China.

China currently has around 8,000 km of metro rail lines, according to the figures cited by the minister.

Indore metro extension inaugurated

The minister made the remarks after inaugurating an extended section of the Indore metro. The project was built at a cost of around Rs 2,850 crore.

The Indore metro was earlier operating commercially on a six-km stretch between Gandhi Nagar and Super Corridor-3 stations. Following the extension, the service will operate on a 17-km route between Gandhi Nagar and Malviya Nagar Chauraha.

Madhya Pradesh Chief Minister Mohan Yadav said the metro service would mark a new phase in Indore’s development. He also said the network would eventually be extended to Ujjain and other nearby areas.

India’s metro rail network: Key figures

  • India currently has 1,170 km of operational metro rail network.
  • Metro services are operational across 26 cities.
  • The US has around 1,386 km of metro rail network.
  • India is currently 216 km behind the US.
  • China has around 8,000 km of metro rail lines.
  • India’s operational network stood at 245 km across five cities in 2014.

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PM Modi returns to SRCC after 13 years, revisits 2013 glass full speech

PM Narendra Modi returned to SRCC after 13 years for its centenary celebrations, revisiting themes from his landmark 2013 address.

Published

22 hours ago

on

September 5, 2026

By

PM Narendra Modi

Prime Minister Narendra Modi returned to Delhi University’s Shri Ram College of Commerce (SRCC) on Saturday, 13 years after his previous visit to the institution as Gujarat chief minister. 

His latest visit came as SRCC marked its centenary celebrations. Modi’s 2013 address at the college had attracted significant attention as he spoke about India’s youth, governance and the country’s demographic potential.

In 2013, Modi was Gujarat chief minister and had not yet been named the BJP’s prime ministerial candidate. He returned to the same campus this year as Prime Minister, having completed 12 years as Prime Minister and serving his third consecutive term. 

What PM Modi said at SRCC in 2013

The 2013 lecture was titled Emerging Business Models in the Global Scenario. The address also covered governance and India’s young population.

He described India’s youth as a source of national strength rather than simply a group of new-age voters. He also highlighted India’s demographic advantage and argued that the country needed to make better use of its young population.

One of the notable moments from the speech involved a glass of water.  Modi contrasted the conventional descriptions of a glass as half full or half empty and said he viewed it as full, with half containing water and the other half air.

The speech also included his remarks on technology and young Indians. Referring to an anecdote from a visit to Taiwan, Modi used the phrase “mouse-charmers” to describe Indians using computers and suggested that young Indians had the ability to influence the world through technology.

‘Minimum government, maximum governance’

Modi’s 2013 address also touched on governance. He spoke about the role of government and the need for better governance.

He also spoke about India’s potential in the 21st century. 

Modi returns as PM for SRCC centenary

The September 5 visit coincided with Teachers’ Day and SRCC’s 100th anniversary. The Prime Minister’s Office had announced that Modi would participate in the college’s centenary celebrations and address the gathering. SRCC was established in 1926 by industrialist and philanthropist Sir Shri Ram.

Earlier this year, Modi also met the SRCC governing body at his residence in April in connection with the college’s centenary celebrations and released a commemorative postage stamp marking the occasion. 

The return to SRCC came 13 years after his 2013 appearance at the college, when he addressed students as Gujarat chief minister.

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