NEW DELHI: In Hindu mythology, the Yamuna is not just a river. She is a goddess, sister to Yama, the god of death, and daughter of Surya, the sun god. Flowing from the icy womb of the Himalayas, her sacred waters once glistened with purity, winding through the plains with a divine grace believed to cleanse the soul and wash away lifetimes of sin. She was Krishna’s companion in Vrindavan, the witness to his leelas, the soothing balm of devotion for sages, saints and sinners alike.
But today, the Yamuna cries. Once revered, the river now bubbles with toxic foam. Her darkened waters, choked with industrial effluents and untreated sewage, reflect not the purity of the heavens but the apathy of a city that has long turned its back. In Delhi, the capital of a modern republic but also the keeper of ancient faiths, thousands of devotees still descend upon her banks during festivals like Chhath Puja, risking health and life to touch what was once holy.
At Kalindi Kunj, in southeast Delhi, 38-year-old Rameshwari (name changed) stands ankle-deep in the murky waters, holding her son’s hand. “The water is extremely dirty but we don’t have many options. It is a ritual to take a bath in a water body so we have come here,” she says.
She’s lived in the city for seven years and, in all that time, the white froth, now as familiar as the rituals themselves, has never disappeared.
“I know the water is unclean,” says Mohini, who had travelled from Noida with her daughter. “My skin burns afterwards, but what choice do we have? If I don’t offer prayer to the setting sun in this river, my prayers won’t be complete,” she says. Her hands tremble, not with fear, but from conviction. “This is our dharma,” she added.
Just a few feet away, 19-year-old Ravi, a resident of the locality, splashes water over his face and chest. “It smells bad, and the foam looks like soap suds. But this is Yamuna, not just any river. Our elders say one dip here can wash away sins. I will take my chances,” says Ravi.This froth is not benign.
Experts warn that it contains high concentrations of ammonia and phosphates, released primarily from untreated sewage and industrial waste. Exposure can cause respiratory complications and skin irritation. Yet during Chhath Puja and other traditional festivals or rituals, countless women like Rameshwari wade through the toxic foam with folded hands and unwavering faith.
The Yamuna, a 1,376-kilometre-long tributary of the Ganges, winds through the heart of several Indian states before passing through Delhi, a 22-kilometre stretch that now resembles more a flowing drain than a sacred river. From Mathura’s Krishna Janmabhoomi to the white marbled domes of the Taj Mahal, her waters once linked the physical to the divine. But in the national capital, where 90% of the sewage finds its way into her flow untreated, mythology stands powerless before municipal failure.
Last year in November, the Delhi HC was compelled to step in. Just days before Chhath Puja, it dismissed a Public Interest Litigation (PIL) that sought permission for devotees to perform rituals at the Geeta Colony ghat along the river. The division bench, led by Chief Justice Manmohan and Justice Tushar Rao Gedela, minced no words: “Given the alarming state of pollution in the Yamuna, it would be harmful for devotees to use the river for Chhath Puja.” The court also reminded the public of its observations in the Shabnam Burney case, where it had warned of “unprecedented pollution levels” in the Yamuna.
The Delhi government, through its counsel, had said it had identified over a thousand alternative locations across the city to facilitate the festival. While the logistics were managed, the spiritual compromise left many dissatisfied. Faith, after all, isn’t easily relocated.
What’s more disturbing is the court’s deeper observation that the river’s crisis is not just ecological, but political and psychological. “Our mindset, not just the river, needs cleansing,” Chief Justice Manmohan remarked in court. “There’s no consensus or urgency today to truly clean the Yamuna.”
This isn’t hyperbole. For decades, various governments have pumped thousands of crores into cleaning the Yamuna. Yet, as environmentalists often repeat, the river is biologically dead by the time it enters Delhi. There is no dissolved oxygen in its waters. The major culprits, the Najafgarh and Shahdara drains, continue to carry untreated sewage directly into the river, bypassing poorly maintained or non-existent treatment plants.
Worse, a significant portion of Delhi’s population resides in unauthorised colonies with no formal sewage infrastructure. This informal sprawl has ensured that any action plan that ignores ground realities will be doomed from the start. Experts argue that unless city rethinks its interceptor drain strategy and simultaneously upgrades its sewage treatment capacity, the Yamuna will remain a shadow of its sacred self.
That said, the government claims it is trying. Eleven river rejuvenation projects are underway, covering 1,600 hectares along the floodplain. The aim is to green the banks, prevent soil erosion, improve water retention and invite biodiversity back to the river. Already, 5,500 native trees have been planted, and migratory birds have begun to return. A 30-hectare eco-tourism zone and a 25-hectare riverfront project have also been proposed.
‘Toxic Exposure Poses Health Risks’
Experts warn that it contains high concentrations of ammonia and phosphates, released primarily from untreated sewage and industrial waste. Exposure can cause respiratory complications and skin irritation. Yet during Chhath Puja and other traditional festivals or rituals, countless women wade through the toxic foam with folded hands and unwavering faith.