Delhi's Yamuna crisis: Flood risks and pollution persist amidst failed fixes, warns top environmental group

By Rajiv Shah 

As Delhi nears the second anniversary of the catastrophic Yamuna floods on July 13, 2023, the city remains ill-prepared for another potential disaster, with experts warning that systemic failures and unchecked development continue to threaten the river’s health. The 2023 floods saw the Yamuna inundate its floodplains and reclaim lost channels, surpassing the 1978 flood level at the Delhi railway bridge by a significant margin. 

A Ministry of Jal Shakti (MoJS) committee identified heavy rainfall, faulty barrage operations, and floodplain encroachments as primary causes. But a new report by the environmental advocacy group South Asia Network on Dams, Rivers and People (SANDRP), "Yamuna Manthan July 2025: Is Delhi Ready for July 2023 like Yamuna Floods?", argues that inadequate responses leave Delhi vulnerable. 

The floods highlighted the dangers of permanent encroachments on the Yamuna’s floodplains, a key factor in the man-made disaster. Yet, Delhi persists with its River Front Development (RFD) drive, prioritizing commercialization over ecological restoration. Himanshu Thakkar, SANDRP coordinator, warns, “Replicating the Sabarmati model could lead to the complete destruction of Yamuna as a river,” emphasizing the risk of erasing the river’s seasonal rhythms and groundwater connections. The Delhi Development Authority (DDA) is forging ahead with plans for 51 kilometers of bicycle tracks along the riverbanks, with the first phase due by October 31, 2025, and full completion by June 30, 2026. The DDA has also ordered the removal of floodplain encroachments by November 2025, but critics argue these measures fail to address deeper issues like sedimentation and channelization from infrastructural projects.

The Yamuna’s flow remains critically restricted, particularly at the Hathni Kund barrage in Haryana, where only 9.97 cumecs of 400 cumecs inflow was released on July 9, 2025, diverting the rest to canals. A peak discharge of 1100 cumecs on July 3 helped flush pollutants from the Delhi stretch, but insufficient flows continue to degrade the river. The absence of flooding in 2024 worsened pollution, and with heavier rainfall forecast this year, experts fear a repeat of 2023’s disaster. 

Bhim Singh Rawat of SANDRP notes, “At present, the Yamuna is acting as a large drain,” underscoring the need for sustained freshwater flows.

Pollution remains a dire threat, with over 800 illegal dyeing factories in the National Capital Region (NCR) discharging chemical effluents into drains that feed the Yamuna and Hindon rivers. Rawat describes this as “a textbook case of putting the cart before the horse,” with “hundreds of grossly polluting industrial units” operating without permissions, violating the Water Pollution Act and destroying the river’s self-cleansing ability. 

The Delhi Jal Board’s (DJB) sewage treatment plants (STPs), designed for household waste, are ill-equipped for industrial chemicals, despite ₹8,500 crore allocated for cleanup, including ₹1,200 crore by 2023. Most of Delhi’s 37 STPs are outdated, and the cleanup deadline has shifted to 2026. Rawat argues, “No matter how much the DJB upgrades STPs, it won’t help if untreated chemical waste keeps entering the river.”

Upstream activities exacerbate the crisis. Rawat points out, “The continued degradation in the city is the end result of unchecked destructive activities upstream including dam construction, water diversion and discharge of untreated effluents.” He challenges the notion that the Yamuna is clean upstream of the Wazirabad barrage, stating, “In reality, the government’s own water quality reports and incidents of Delhi’s water treatment plants getting disrupted due to increased pollution indicate that the river’s health has deteriorated even upstream of the Wazirabad barrage over recent years.” 

Sand mining in Haryana and Uttar Pradesh further disrupts lean-season flows, while a study near the Taj Mahal revealed high levels of toxic microplastics in the Yamuna’s riverbed, compounding groundwater depletion threats to the monument.

Proposed solutions, like diverting 500 cusecs of Ganga water to the Yamuna, are met with skepticism. Rawat argues, “Firstly, Ganga does not have any surplus water. Like Yamuna, the national river also struggles to maintain minimum flows during lean season. Transferring water from one depleted river to another is not restoration.” He adds, “Ensuring the diverted water actually reaches the Yamuna will be an enormous logistical challenge. And even if it does, the volume will be too little to make a significant impact.” 

Instead, he advocates reviving Shivalik feeder streams and increasing releases from Hathni Kund. The DJB’s plan to release 1244 MLD of treated water from STPs is also insufficient, with Rawat noting, “While some marginal dilution will take place, the flow seems insufficient. Quality of treated water will have to be ensured. In long term, we need to focus on ensuring more fresh water in the river stream. Use highly treated water for secondary uses like washing and horticulture and equal amount of fresh water be allowed to flow in the river.”

The Yamuna’s tributaries, like the Sahibi River, suffer similar neglect, reduced to sewage-laden drains due to upstream damming. Efforts to rename the Najafgarh Drain as the Sahibi aim to raise awareness, but downstream rejuvenation is stalled by private land ownership. Haryana’s initiatives to treat pollution at key drains show progress, with reservoirs and treatment structures being built, but 12 major drains continue to degrade the river. The Yamuna’s biodiversity is also at risk, with the Okhla Bird Sanctuary reduced to a “lifeless nallah” and native fish populations declining due to dams and pollution. The gharial remains on the brink of extinction, dependent on healthier rivers.

Despite pollution, communities at Nigambodh Ghat rely on the Yamuna for livelihoods, from boating to diving, while thousands of devotees risk their health during festivals like Chhath Puja. Activists Varun Gulati and Pankaj Kumar emphasize the need for public engagement, noting that government action often requires court intervention. The DJB’s 45-point action plan, launched in June 2025, targets drain treatment, waste management, and STP upgrades, with a crackdown on illegal waste discharge underway. However, systemic challenges persist, including wetland disputes like Tikri Khurd and unchecked sand mining, which weakens embankments and heightens flood risks.

Positive efforts offer hope, such as the restoration of Satpula Lake using nature-based wastewater treatment and student-led bioremediation projects at IIT Delhi. In Gautam Budh Nagar, 10 ponds are being renovated to recharge groundwater, and Haryana is treating pollution at key points. Yet, urban flooding in Delhi and Gurugram, exacerbated by mismanaged drains and concretized landscapes, underscores the need for holistic solutions. 

As Rawat stresses, “The long-term solution remains ensuring our drains are no longer carrying sewage into the river directly.” Without interstate cooperation, enforcement, and public participation, the Yamuna risks remaining a toxic symbol of environmental neglect in India’s capital.