NEW DELHI: While government agencies continue to promise that the Yamuna will soon be clean enough for bathing, two independent activists working on the ground argue that pollution persists due to systemic inaction, corruption, and weak enforcement.
Despite personal risks and no institutional support, they have spent years identifying polluting units, inspecting sewage treatment plants (STPs) and pursuing legal action to push authorities into taking meaningful steps.
A one-man crusade
Varun Gulati, 41, has been waging a near one-man battle against industrial pollution in Delhi since 2018. Armed with a drone borrowed from a friend, Google Maps, and legal perseverance, Gulati says he has identified and reported hundreds of illegal dyeing and chemical units operating without waste treatment facilities.
“There are 27 such areas in Delhi where industries operate in 70% of the space, but not one has a CETP (Common Effluent Treatment Plant),” he says. “Each of these units releases 5 to 10 lakh litres of untreated waste—containing sulphate, ammonia, phosphate—into the Yamuna every single day.”
Gulati claims he has managed to get around 700 polluting units sealed over the years—but not without struggle. “Officials often warn factory owners in advance. By the time an inspection is carried out, the unit is already shut. Then they report there’s no violation,” he says.
Fighting corruption
Gulati also alleges deep-rooted corruption within enforcement agencies. In one case, he says, a `92 lakh fine was reduced to `2.5 lakh by Delhi Pollution Control Committee (DPCC) officials—who were later arrested by the Anti-Corruption Bureau following his complaint.
In another instance, he was allegedly told to identify every single unit in a polluting cluster before officials would act on his complaint. “I do all this on my own—no staff, no team. I sustain myself through consultancy work helping legal businesses set up factories,” he says. His efforts have come at personal cost.
Gulati says he remains unmarried due to safety concerns and has received threats, including once being held at gunpoint during an inspection. He also faces multiple defamation suits, including a `1 crore case filed by a DPCC officer. “They subtly threaten me. But someone has to do this. I follow up on every court order. If they don’t comply, I file contempt cases. I’ve fought 50 cases in court so far—and won them all,” he says.
Citizen action
While Gulati relies on legal channels and surveillance, Pankaj Kumar focuses on public participation and on-the-ground action. A former MNC employee, Kumar quit his job in 2022 to work full-time with Earth Warrior, a volunteer group he founded in 2019.
With 30 core members and dozens of college students joining every week, Earth Warrior conducts weekly clean-up drives along the Yamuna, especially near Kalindi Kunj. “We are very open. Anyone can join,” he says. The group not only removes garbage from the riverbanks but also monitors the functioning of STPs and CETPs. “We check whether treated water is actually clear. Sometimes, there’s no inflow or outflow at all. The capacity exists, but there are huge operational gaps,” Kumar says.
Like Gulati, Kumar uses RTIs and court submissions to draw attention to violations. “Many STPs have shown improvement after we submitted reports. The government does take note sometimes, but overall, with the current direction, the Yamuna will never become clean,” he says.
A broken system
Kumar, who hails from Bihar, recalls being shocked when he first saw the river. “Growing up, I had read about the cultural significance of the Yamuna. When I saw it in person, it was heartbreaking,” he says.
He points out that while 80% of the required infrastructure for river cleaning exists on paper, it is poorly utilised. “A lot of drains still empty directly into the river. These were meant for rainwater but now carry sewage and industrial waste. On top of that, people throw garbage into them, thinking that’s what drains are for,” he explains.
Both Gulati and Kumar agree that claims like making the river “bathing clean” are unrealistic under current circumstances. “It’s not technically possible. What’s needed is a step-by-step cleanup plan,” says Kumar. “You can’t fix this overnight.”
Despite the scale of the challenge, both men continue their efforts. Gulati tracks polluting clusters through satellite images and visits sites alone, while Kumar runs awareness campaigns and mobilises volunteers. Most of their funding comes from volunteers themselves and modest social media revenues.
The real hope
Both activists emphasise a hard truth: the Yamuna cannot be cleaned by government machinery alone. “Officials act only when the courts force them,” says Gulati. “And even then, only if we follow up relentlessly.”