New Delhi, June 6, 2025: On the occasion of World Environment Day, a landmark knowledge report titled “Beyond the Froth: 22 Kilometres of Crisis, Over 20 Million Reasons to Revive Yamuna” was launched online. This report offers one of the most comprehensive, ground-up assessments of the Yamuna River’s deteriorating condition in Delhi. It is the result of extensive field research by Primus Partners, with direct inputs from stakeholders including fishermen, boatmen, priests, farmers, and vendors who live and work along the river. This initiative has received support from the Government of Delhi, which has made Yamuna rejuvenation a key urban and ecological priority.
The report highlights alarming trends:
Delhi contributes a staggering 76% of the Yamuna’s total pollution load despite accounting for just 2% of its length.
Untreated and partially treated sewage discharge remains the primary culprit —while the city generates 792 MGD of sewage, only 618 MGD is treated. Nearly 30% of this treated water still fails to meet prescribed discharge standards.
Over 500 unauthorized colonies and 160 villages still lack sewerage access.
37 of the city’s sewage treatment plants (STPs) fail to meet discharge norms, and several industrial areas continue to release hazardous effluents, compounded by a lack of environmental flow during lean seasons.
The Najafgarh and Shahdara drains—fed by waste from Delhi, Haryana, and Uttar Pradesh—together contribute an estimated 80% of the river’s pollution load within the city.
What makes this report distinct is its powerful focus on community voices. These voices reveal that the crisis is not just ecological, but deeply social and economic. Fishermen report a tenfold drop in catch. Boatmen and vendors cite declining livelihoods due to reduced footfall. Priests say many ghats are no longer usable for religious rituals.
Residents living near the Yamuna and dependent on it lament the loss of a public space and their traditional way of life. These interactions underscore a deep emotional connection to the river and a shared concern for its health. These community members shared how pollution has disrupted their daily lives and contaminated water sources. Despite their profound sadness about the Yamuna’s condition, these communities still maintain a strong emotional bond with the river.
On the other hand, a survey of non-riverine residents found that while 83% of citizens agreed on the extreme importance of cleaning the Yamuna for the city’s health, there are signs of a waning emotional connection to the river. This highlights the need to revive the people-river relationship.
The report underscores that the Yamuna’s revival demands more than infrastructure upgrades. It calls for reimagining governance, rethinking public participation, and rebuilding trust between people and the river. It proposes a two-pronged strategy: addressing structural and systemic issues alongside reviving the people-river relationship. This includes bold reforms such as establishing an Interstate Yamuna Rejuvenation Compact and a Yamuna Cleaning Board, introducing a Treated Wastewater Reuse Policy, enforcing stricter zero liquid discharge norms for industries, and developing an integrated sewerage master plan.
Equally important is the second prong: reconnecting people to the river. The report recommends a Yamuna Citizen Connect Campaign that promotes grassroots-led action through cultural programming, micro-grants, promotion of innovation and community-managed ghats. These efforts aim to ensure that the river’s revival is not just a technical challenge, but a cultural and social renewal as well.
The Government of Delhi has responded with an action plan that includes constructing 40 new decentralized STPs, upgrading treatment capacity by 118 MGD, installing real-time water quality sensors, and reviving 1,600 hectares of floodplain.
Launched exclusively on June 5 to mark World Environment Day, the report offers a blueprint for inclusive and sustainable river restoration—one that blends engineering fixes with ecological thinking and deep public engagement.