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Yamuna is dying

Published

9 years ago

on

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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India News

LPU students protest over reported rape allegation, police call it rumour

Students at Lovely Professional University protested over a reported rape allegation involving a worker, with police describing the claim as a rumour.

Published

16 hours ago

on

September 27, 2026

By

Students of Lovely Professional University (LPU) in Punjab staged a protest after an allegation involving the reported rape of a student by a worker at the university surfaced.

The protest led to disruption around the university, with students taking to the streets and blocking the Jalandhar-Phagwara National Highway, according to the report.

The allegation triggered anger among students, who demanded action over the reported incident.

Police describe rape claim as rumour

Police, however, described the rape claim as a rumour, indicating that the allegation had not been established as a confirmed incident.

The distinction is important because the reported sexual assault allegation should not be treated as a confirmed rape unless investigators or other authoritative sources establish that fact.

The protests nevertheless continued as students sought clarity and action over the issue.

Protest disrupts traffic

The student demonstration also affected traffic on the Jalandhar-Phagwara National Highway. The protest brought attention to the allegations and the concerns being raised by students at the university.

With police calling the claim a rumour, further verification and investigation would be necessary to establish what actually happened.

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India News

INDIA bloc likely to meet on September 30 over Gyanesh Kumar row

INDIA bloc parties are likely to meet in New Delhi on September 30 amid growing opposition to Chief Election Commissioner Gyanesh Kumar and the Special Intensive Revision of electoral rolls.

Published

1 day ago

on

September 26, 2026

By

Rahul-Gandhi

Opposition parties belonging to the INDIA bloc are set to meet in New Delhi on September 30 to discuss concerns surrounding the Election Commission, the Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of electoral rolls and a proposed removal motion against Chief Election Commissioner Gyanesh Kumar.

The proposed meeting comes amid growing coordination among opposition parties over the functioning of the poll panel and demands for action against Chief Election Commissioner Gyanesh Kumar. The parties are also discussing a possible joint response to the developments.

Why is the INDIA bloc meeting being planned?

The INDIA bloc meeting on September 30 comes amid reports of objections within the Election Commission over certain decisions and orders related to the SIR exercise. 

According to the report, Opposition leaders have been discussing a coordinated response to their concerns over the Election Commission and the electoral-roll revision process. 

The issue is also expected to be discussed at the Congress Working Committee meeting scheduled for September 29, a day before the proposed INDIA bloc meeting.

Gyanesh Kumar removal demand in focus

The demand for the removal of Chief Election Commissioner Gyanesh Kumar has become a major point of contention between the Opposition and the Election Commission.

The CPI(M), CPI and CPI(ML)-Liberation have demanded Kumar’s removal and an immediate halt to the SIR exercise. Congress has also intensified its criticism of the CEC.

Opposition parties are also working on a fresh removal motion against Gyanesh Kumar. The September 30 meeting is expected to finalise the strategy for the motion, including the collection of signatures. According to the report, this would be the Opposition’s third such attempt. 

What is the SIR controversy?

The political dispute is linked to the Special Intensive Revision of electoral rolls, or SIR.

The controversy intensified following a report that Election Commissioners Sukhbir Singh Sandhu and Vivek Joshi had recorded objections on several occasions concerning decisions and orders related to the SIR process.

The Election Commission has said that differing views and observations are part of normal deliberations in a multi-member constitutional body. The poll panel has also maintained that its orders have legal sanction and follow statutory procedures, while stating that the final decisions on the SIR were taken unanimously. 

TMC and Left parties coordinate over the issue

The developments have also brought the Trinamool Congress and the CPI(M) together on the Election Commission issue, despite their political differences in West Bengal.

CPI(M) general secretary M A Baby proposed an immediate meeting to discuss a joint strategy. According to the report, Mamata Banerjee spoke with M A Baby and Leader of Opposition Rahul Gandhi, after which the leaders settled on September 30 for the meeting. 

What could be discussed at the September 30 meeting?

The proposed meeting is expected to focus on:

  • Concerns surrounding the Election Commission
  • The Special Intensive Revision of electoral rolls
  • Opposition demands concerning CEC Gyanesh Kumar
  • A possible fresh removal notice against the CEC
  • A coordinated response by INDIA bloc parties

The exact agenda and participation will depend on the discussions among the opposition parties before the proposed meeting.

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“Will die but won’t give up”: Sahil Wakode’s parents urge IIT students to continue fight 

Sahil Wakode’s parents have appealed to IIT Bombay students to continue their fight for justice amid the ongoing investigation into their son’s death.

Published

1 day ago

on

September 26, 2026

By

Sahil Wakode

The parents of IIT Bombay student Sahil Wakode have appealed to students to continue raising their voices and fighting for justice following their son’s death.

Sahil Wakode, a second-year student at IIT Bombay, died in his hostel room on September 18. His death has led to student protests and an ongoing investigation by the Mumbai Crime Branch.

What Sahil Wakode’s parents have alleged

Sahil’s parents have alleged that their son faced caste-based discrimination and harassment at IIT Bombay before his death. They have sought action against those they hold responsible and have demanded a thorough investigation into the circumstances surrounding his death.

The family has also called for a CBI inquiry and has sought the arrest of officials named in the case. These remain allegations and are part of the ongoing investigation.

The Mumbai Crime Branch took over the probe after an FIR was registered following the complaint by Sahil’s parents.

IIT Bombay’s position

IIT Bombay has said that Sahil was allegedly caught using a mobile phone during a mid-semester examination and had uploaded the question paper to ChatGPT to seek answers.

The institute has maintained that no disciplinary action had been initiated against him. It said the matter had been discussed with him by the instructor and the Head of the Department, who counselled him and assured him that the incident would not adversely affect his academic career.

The circumstances surrounding Sahil’s death are being investigated by the appropriate authorities.

Investigation continues

The case remains under investigation, with the Mumbai Crime Branch examining the circumstances surrounding Sahil’s death and the allegations made by his family.

His parents have continued to demand justice and action against those they believe were responsible, while the investigation is expected to establish the facts surrounding the case.

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