RIVER YAMUNA

Dying by
DEFAULTor by
DESIGN
I t is the story of a river. A true story narrated in
pictures, in maps and in tables.
‘Taj Mahal’ as an ode to undying love.

A river which notwithstanding its past glory, is

A river revered for aeon by the millions of people
as it flowed along side the historical cities of Delhi,
Vrindaban, Mathura and Agra. A river, which is
associated intimately with the leelas of Lord
Krishna. A river, which has b een a witness to the
historical journey of India down the ages. A river,
which blends with and complements the
everlasting charms of the monument called the
today fighting a seemingly lost battle for its
continued survival against powerful forces of
avarice and general apathy.
But it is also a story of hope. For it tells how the
prophets of gloom and doom can and should be
proved wrong by a motivated citizenry and
committed state machinery.

Pristine river Yamuna in Dehradun (date of picture: 17 February 2007)

RIVER YAMUNA – Dying by DEFAULT or by DESIGN 1

 Putrid river Yamuna in Delhi (date of picture: 28 January 2007)

River Yamuna – at glance

2 RIVER YAMUNA – Dying by DEFAULT or by DESIGN

 BARE FACTS ABOUT THE RIVER
Origin – Jamunotri (Uttrakhand) from Jamunotri glacier

Total length – 1376 km

SECTION STATE LENGTH (KM) TRIBUTARIES / DAM / CANAL

DRAINS BARRAGE

Hills UA, UP, HP 172 Kamal, Giri, Dak Patthar Dakpathar

(Jamunotri – Tons, Asan Barrage, Canal,
Hathnikund Asan Barrage, Asan Canal
Barrage)

Upstream Haryana, 224 Som nadi / Hathnikund WYC and

Delhi (Plains) UP Choti Yamuna Barrage EYC
(Hathnikund Drain no. 2
Barrage – and 8
Wazirabad
Barrage)

Delhi* Delhi 22 22 drains, Wazirabad Agra canal

(Wazirabad Hindon Cut Barrage,
Barrage – Yamuna
Yamuna Barrage,
Barrage -
Okhla
Barrage)

Downstream UP, 490 Hindon, Okhla Agra Canal,

Delhi Haryana Bhuria Nala, Barrage Gurgaon
(Okhla Mathura – Canal
Barrage – Vrindavan
Confluence drain,
with Chambal) Agra Drain

Revived UP 468 Chambal, — —

Yamuna Ken,
(Confluence Kali Sindh,
with Betwa
Chambal –
Confluence
with Ganga)

TOTAL 1376

WYC – Western Yamuna Canal, EYC – Eastern Yamuna Canal

* River Yamuna enters Delhi at village Palla and traverses a total distance of 48 km within the National Capital Territory of Delhi (NCTD)
of which 26 km is upstream of the Wazirabad Barrage.

RIVER YAMUNA – Dying by DEFAULT or by DESIGN 3

RIVER YAMUNA IN THE HILLS (UA, HP) Google Picture

River Yamuna covers a total distance of 170 km in the hills of Uttarakhand passing through the elevated valley of
Dehradun before it cuts through the Siwalik hills to enter the plains of UP and Haryana. River Tons and Asan in
Uttarakhand and river Kamal and Giri in Himachal Pradesh are its main tributaries.

RIVER YAMUNA ENTERS THE PLAINS (UP, Haryana)

Google Picture

River Yamuna covers a distance of 220 km from the Hathnikund Barrage where it enters the plains of Uttar Pradesh
and Haryana before reaching village Palla in Delhi.
RIVER YAMUNA IN DELHI

22 km of river between the Wazirabad barrage and the Okhla Barrage Google Picture

Close up of river Yamuna at the Wazirabad barrage Google Picture

The river flood plain on either side more so in the east can be seen to have been converted into human habitation.
Wazirabad Barrage (date of picture: 28 January 2007)

River Yamuna between Wazirabad Barrage and Old Railway Bridge

Google Picture

While the flood plain in the west is almost absent the one in east is still relatively unmolested till the Shahdara road
bridge

6 RIVER YAMUNA – Dying by DEFAULT or by DESIGN

Between Shahdara bridge and the ITO Bridge Google Picture

Sashtri Park Metro station has usurped almost the entire flood plain between the Shahdara bridge and the Old
Yamuna Bridge. The Samadhis, Raj Ghat Power Plant, Yamuna Velodrome, IG Indoor Stadium, Delhi Secretariat in
the river flood plain can be seen on the west bank of the river.

River Yamuna between ITO Bridge and the Nizamuddin Bridge Google Picture

Akshardham can be seen under construction in this imagery. Flood plain north and west of Akshardham is the
proposed site for the CG 2010 games village. The seemingly secure flood plain in the eastern bank of the river,
south of the ITO bridge and north of the bridal path is presently under conversion into Yamuna Metro Station.

RIVER YAMUNA – Dying by DEFAULT or by DESIGN 7

Nizamuddin Bridge Google Picture

The last virgin (still unmolested) part of flood plain south of Nizamuddin Bridge can be seen. Akshardham and the
proposed site for the CG 2010 games village can be seen in upper right corner. Also can be seen the JN Stadium
diagonally opposite the games village site at lower left corner.

DND Google Picture

The serpentine DND bridge over the river Yamuna. Also can be seen south of the DND, in the western bank vast
human habitation (Batla House and its extension) right into the river, south of the DND.

8 RIVER YAMUNA – Dying by DEFAULT or by DESIGN

Yamuna at the Okhla Barrage
Google Picture

Agra Canal can be seen leaving the Okhla reservoir while Shahdara drain can be seen to meet the river south of the
Barrage

South of Okhla Barrage Google Picture

Agra Canal, Express way (NOIDA) and the resettlement colony in the western flood plain can be seen.

RIVER YAMUNA – Dying by DEFAULT or by DESIGN 9

 WHAT
Diversion of water
RIVER YAMUNA
AILS

?
Water from the river Yamuna has been diverted for power generation, irrigation and drinking water
purposes at various places all along its length –

SITE STRUCTURE STATE PURPOSE STATE OF RIVER

Dak Patthar Barrage UA Power generation Water diverted into

canal

Asan Barrage UA Power generation Water diverted into

canal

Hathnikund Barrage UP / Irrigation and Water diverted into

Haryana drinking water WYC and EYC
(No water flow
downstream in dry
season)

Wazirabad Barrage Delhi Drinking water Generally no water

flow downstream in
dry season

ITO bridge Barrage Delhi Water supply to Water available

power plant mainly from drains

Okhla Barrage Delhi / Water supply Generally no water

UP into Agra Canal flow downstream in
dry season

Source: CPCB, 2000. WYC – Western Yamuna Canal; EYC – Eastern Yamuna Canal

NB: There are no notable tributaries bringing
water to river Yamuna for a distance of around
250 km of its flow in the plains except for a
seasonal stream called Som Nadi (joining it close
to Saharanpur in UP) and heavily polluted river
Hindon (joining it south of Greater NOIDA in UP)
till the river Chambal meets the river Yamuna near
Etawah (UP). So majority of water that one finds
in the river south of the Hathnikund Barrage is
either from ground water accrual or the waste
water drains joining the river from towns like
Yamuna Nagar, Karnal, Panipat and Sonepat in
Haryana and Saharanpur, Muzzafarnagar and
Baghpat in UP. In Delhi the water is brought into
the river by the 22 waste water drains that empty
into it. (List in Appendix).

10 RIVER YAMUNA – Dying by DEFAULT or by DESIGN

Asan Canal (date of picture: 17 February 2007)

Hathnikund Barrage over river Yamuna (date of picture: 17 February 2007)

RIVER YAMUNA – Dying by DEFAULT or by DESIGN 11

Western Yamuna Canal leaving the Hathnikund Barrage (date of picture: 17 February 2007)

Eastern Yamuna Canal originating from the Hathnikund Barrage (date of picture: 17 February 2007)

12 RIVER YAMUNA – Dying by DEFAULT or by DESIGN

Little water in river Yamuna downstream of the Hathnikund Barrage (date of picture: 17 February
2007)

Pollution of water
It is well known that river Yamuna is today one of the most polluted rivers in the country. Domestic,
agriculture as well as industrial pollution sources contribute to it.

CPCB stations on river Yamuna up till Delhi

NAME LOCATION DESCRIPTION CLASS

Hathnikund 2 km upstream of Gives water quality of almost A&B

Tajewala Barrage
Kalanaur 7 km east of Yamuna nagar at
Yamuna Bridge on Yamuna
nagar – Saharanpur Road
Sonepat 20 km east of Sonepat city
at Yamuna bridge on
Sonepat – Baghpat road
Palla 23 km upstream of
Wazirabad barrage
Nizammudin 13 km downstream of
Wazirabad
Agra Canal 26 km downstream from
Wazirabad Barrage
pristine Yamuna
Provides impact of Som Nadi C
on the river water quality
Impact of discharges from C
Karnal and Panipat cities
Impact of discharges from C&D
Sonipat district.
Raw water quality for Delhi
Impact of wastewater E
discharge from Delhi
Impact of discharge from E
Delhi after Okhla Barrage

Source: CPCB, 2000.

RIVER YAMUNA – Dying by DEFAULT or by DESIGN 13

Primary water quality criteria for various uses of fresh water (Source: CPCB) BOX
DESIGNATED BEST USE
Drinking water source without
conventional treatment but
after disinfections
Outdoor bathing
Drinking water source with
conventional treatment followed
by disinfection
Propagation of wild life, fisheries
Irrigation, industrial cooling,
con-trolled waste disposal
Polluted state of the river Yamuna in Delhi (Adapted from Bhardwaj, 2005)
It has the lowest value of Dissolved Oxygen (DO)
at .1 mg / lit of all the rivers in the country
DO – is the amount of oxygen in mg / lit of
river water to sustain the aquatic life in water
body. (Bathing quality standard is 5 mg /
lit)
It has one of the highest Biochemical Oxygen
Demand (BOD) of all the rivers in the country at
36 mg / lit
BOD – is the amount of oxygen in mg needed
by bacteria to oxydise one lit of organic waste
(Bathing quality standard is 3 mg / lit)
14 RIVER YAMUNA – Dying by DEFAULT or by DESIGN
CLASS CRITERIA
A *Total coliform organisms MPN/100mL
shall be 50 or less.
*pH between 6.5 and 8.5
*Dissolved oxygen 6 mg/l or more
*Biochemical oxygen demand 2 mg/l or Less
B *Total coliform organisms MPN/100ml shall be
500 or less
*pH between 6.5 and 8.5
*Dissolved oxygen 5 mg/l or more
*Biochemical oxygen demand 3 mg/l or Less
C *Total coliform organisms MPN/ 100ml shall
be 5000 or less
*pH between 6 and 9
*Dissolved oxygen 4 mg/l or more
*Biochemical oxygen demand 3 mg/l or Less
D *pH between 6.5 and 8.5
*Dissolved oxygen 4 mg/l or more
*Free ammonia (as N) 1.2 mg/l or less
E *pH between 6.0 and 8.5
*Electrical conductivity less than 2250
micro mhos/cm
*Sodium absorption ratio less than 26
*Boron less than 2mg/l
It has the highest count in the country of Total
Coliform Numbers and Faecal Coliform Numbers
at 2.6 billion MPN/100 ml and 1.7 million MPN/
100 ml respectively
Faecal Coliform number – number of disease
causing bacteria counted in 100 ml of water.
Origin of these bacteria is faecal matter.
(Bathing quality standard is 500 per 100 ml
of water)
Sources of pollution:
Domestic Pollution:
Urban centres in the state of Uttarakhand
(Dehradun), Haryana (Yamuna Nagar, Karnal,
Panipat, Sonepat, Faridabad, Bhallabhgarh), UP
(Saharanpur, Muzzafarnagar, Baghpat, Gaziabad,
Noida, Mathura, Agra) and Delhi are the major
sources of domestic pollution of the river.
Increasing water requirement for domestic uses
and the impact of resultant waste water discharge
in form of sewage (especially since the latter has
not been efficiently treated and managed) on the
receiving river has deteriorated the water quality.
Domestic uses that pollute the river include cattle
wading, bathing, open defecation and washing
of clothes in the river.
A major source of domestic pollution in Indian
rivers is the offerings and remnants of religious
ceremonies performed in individual houses and
in public places.

River Yamuna in Delhi (date of picture: 28 February 2007)

RIVER YAMUNA – Dying by DEFAULT or by DESIGN 15

Waste water drain next to Nizamuddin railway Station flowing into river Yamuna (date of picture: 22
February 2007)

Shahdara drain and the Hindon cut bringing waste water into river Yamuna (date of picture: 28
January 2007)

16 RIVER YAMUNA – Dying by DEFAULT or by DESIGN

Industrial pollution:
According to CPCB (2000) there were 22 industrial discharging and polluting the river. These
units in Haryana, 42 units in Delhi and 17 units in industries include paper, sugar, chemical, leather,
Uttar Pradesh which were found to be directly distillery, pharmaceuticals, power etc.

Pragati Power Plant in Delhi (date of picture: 28 January 2007)

RIVER YAMUNA – Dying by DEFAULT or by DESIGN 17

Agricultural pollution:

Agricultural pollution is mainly sourced from agricultural residues, fertilizer and pesticide use and
cattle.

(date of picture: 28 January 2007)

Encroachment over river bed and the flood plain

River beds and flood plains are part of an aquatic
ecosystem with important ecological role of
ensuring smooth river water flows, growth of
requisite vegetation, ground water recharge as
well as flood water regulation.
Any encroachment on river bed or the flood plain
resulting in a change in land use results in
hindering of one or all of the above functions.
In Delhi, Zone O and part of Zone P (Between the
two embankments on west and east of the river)
has been identified as the river Yamuna spread
over an area of around 97 sq km. Of this 16 sq
km is under water and the rest around 81 sq km
is the river flood plain.

ZONE DESCRIPTION AREA (HA)

Zone P Area north of Wazirabad Barrage 3600 ha

Zone O Area south of Wazirabad Barrage 6100

Total 9700

18 RIVER YAMUNA – Dying by DEFAULT or by DESIGN

Over a period of time areas in the flood plain have been converted or are in the process of conversion
on either side of the river for various alternate uses as under:
STRETCH OF
RIVER FLOOD PLAIN
NCTD boundary –
Wazirabad Barrage
Wazirabad Barrage –
Shahdara Bridge
Shahdara Bridge –
ITO Bridge
(Yamuna Barrage)
ITO Bridge –
Nizamuddin Bridge
Nizamuddin Bridge – DND
DND – Okhla Barrage
South of Okhla Barrage
Source: adapted from MPD 2021
WEST BANK
JJ colony, Water works
Metcalfe House, Majnu ka Tila,
Signature Bridge (proposed)
JJ colonies (since removed),
Electric crematorium,
Samadhis (Vijay Ghat, Shanti Van,
Shakti Sathal, Rajghat),
Rajghat and IP power station
and house, Yamuna
Velodrome, IG Indoor Stadium,
Delhi Secretariat
Pragati Power station,
JJ colonies (since removed),
Petrol pump
Land fill, Electric crematorium,
Global village
(under construction)
JJ Colonies and other
residential colonies
(Batla House and extension)
Defence services Sailing club,
Kalindi Kunj bye pass road
(under construction),
Abul Fazal Enclave
Indian Oil Bottling Plant,
Resettlement colonies
(Madan pur Khadar)
RIVER YAMUNA – Dying by DEFAULT or by DESIGN
EAST BANK
Sonia Vihar, Khajuri Khas,
CRPF camp, Sonia Vihar
DJB water works
220 KV ESS
(Power distribution station)
Shastri Park Metro station and
head quarters, IT Park,
JJ colonies (some since
removed), Geeta Colony
Bridge (under construction),
New Railway Bridge (under
construction), Highway (under
construction)
Yamuna Metro station (under
construction), Metro bridge
and Embankment (under
construction), Akshardham,
CG Village (proposed),
JJ Colonies (since removed)
JJ colonies (since removed),
Extension of DND till Mayur
Place city centre
(under construction)
—
Amity University (UP)
19
Pictorial (Source: Tehelka newspaper dated 16 August 2006)

1 Police Training Camp

2 Sonia Vihar
Bal Nirikshan Grih 3 Rajiv Nagar
4 Shree Ram Colony
Tibetan School 5
6
Baba Gopaldas Darwesh 7
Majnu Ka Tila 8

9
Chandgi Ram Akhada
Metro Headquarter
10 11
Ladakh Budh Vihar
12 Shastri Park

Rajghat Power Plant

Delhi Stock Exchange 13

14
Delhi Secretariat 15

Commonwealth Games Village

16
17 Akshardham Temple

Fly Ashes
18
Rajiv Smriti Van
19

Abul Fazal Enclave 20

21
Indian Oil Bottling Plant

Suresh Vihar 22
23 Hari Nagar
Om Nagar 24
25 Meethapur

20 RIVER YAMUNA – Dying by DEFAULT or by DESIGN

Flood plain and Rajiv Nagar colony north of Wazirabad Barrage (Sonia Vihar water works can be
seen in the background) (date of picture: 28January 2007)

Shastri Park Metro Station and DMRC Head quarters in the flood plain (date of picture: 28 January
2007)

RIVER YAMUNA – Dying by DEFAULT or by DESIGN 21

IG Indoor Stadium and the Delhi Secretariat in the flood plain (date of picture: 28 January
2007)

Embankment in the flood plain under construction for the Yamuna Metro Station (date of picture: 28
January 2007)

22 RIVER YAMUNA – Dying by DEFAULT or by DESIGN

Flood plain west of Akshardham (can be seen in the backdrop) slated for conversion into CG
2010 games village (date of picture: 22 February 2007)

Global village under construction in the river bed north of the DND (date of picture: 22 February
2007)

RIVER YAMUNA – Dying by DEFAULT or by DESIGN 23

Extension of DND up till Mayur Vihar City centre under construction in the flood plain (date of
picture: 22 February 2007)

Appendix

LIST OF DRAINS OUT FALLING INTO

RIVER YAMUNA : (Source: MPD 2021).

1. Najafgarh drain 12. Sen Nursing Home drain

2. Magazine Road drain 13. Drain No. 14

3. Sweeper Colony drain 14. Barapullah Drain

4. Khyber pass drain 15. Maharani Bagh drain

5. Metcalfe drain 16. Kalkaji drain

6. Kudsia Bagh drain 17. Okhla drain

7. Moat drain 18. Tughlakabad drain

8. Trans Yamuna MCD drain 19. Shahdara drain

9. Mori Gate drain 20. Sarita Vihar Drain

10. Civil Mill Drain 21. LPG Bottling Plant Drain

11. Power House drain 22. Tehkhand Drain

24 RIVER YAMUNA – Dying by DEFAULT or by DESIGN