The Delhi Jal Board (DJB) has reported that every day, around 641 million litres of untreated sewage from Delhi enter the Yamuna River, making pollution worse in this important water body. This shocking figure shows how serious the situation is for the health of the river.

As of June 2025, Delhi has 37 sewage treatment plants (STPs) that together can treat up to 3,474 million litres per day (MLD). However, they are currently treating only 2,955 MLD of the total 3,596 MLD of sewage the city produces. Out of these 37 plants, 14 STPs are not following the pollution standards set by the Delhi Pollution Control Committee.
The Central Pollution Control Board (CPCB) is keeping track of the Yamuna's water quality every month at three major locations: Palla, Nizamuddin Bridge, and Okhla Barrage. They check important factors like biochemical oxygen demand (BOD), dissolved oxygen, and faecal coliform as part of the National Water Quality Monitoring Programme. These checks have been happening regularly since January 2025.

In 2024, the CPCB also reviewed 189 grossly polluting industries in the Yamuna basin. These industries release around 1.33 MLD of treated wastewater but still contribute a pollution load of 0.046 tonnes of BOD per day. Out of 158 working industries, 49 were either breaking the rules or didn't have the required permission. As a result, the authorities sent 40 show-cause notices and nine closure orders to these polluting units.

To clean the Yamuna, nine projects under the Namami Gange Programme have been completed at a cost of Rs 1,951 crore, creating 1,268 MLD of sewage treatment capacity. Since January 2025, Rs 140 crore has been given for Yamuna cleaning by the National Mission for Clean Ganga and the Delhi government, and Rs 108.31 crore has already been used.

The Ministry of Jal Shakti is also helping by giving money to Himachal Pradesh, Haryana, Delhi, and Uttar Pradesh for Yamuna rejuvenation. “Projects at various stages of planning, construction, and completion are being closely monitored,” said Minister of State for Jal Shakti, Shri Raj Bhushan Choudhary, in a written reply in the Lok Sabha on Thursday.

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