OneWorld.net (U.S.)

A public meeting to discuss the various approaches to cleaning up the Yamuna river was held at Unitech Country Club in Gurgaon on May 23. The meeting, jointly organised by the Centre for Science and Environment (CSE) and Development and Research Organisation for Nature, Arts and Heritage (DRONAH), was the second in a recent series of public meetings on Yamuna. It sought to rethink the water-wastewater management paradigm in Delhi and raise key issues pertaining to the dying river.

The meeting was attended by Bhure Lal, Chairman of the Environment Pollution (Prevention and Control) Authority for National Capital Region and S.P. Gupta, Administrator of Haryana Urban Development Authority (HUDA).

A book titled ‘Sewage Canal: How to Clean the Yamuna’ was released on the occasion. The book highlights the direct proportionality between water usage and sewage generation in Delhi and describes how this is taking a fatal toll on the river.

An extensive river, the Yamuna flows only for a short stretch of 22 km in Delhi. Yet this patch alone contributes a massive 70% to the total pollution load of the river. Huge amounts of funds have been spent, several sewage treatment plants have been set up, yet the pollution continues unabated.

Water–intensive disposal of human excreta and the resulting water crisis, compounded with a poor drainage system and widespread, un-scientific dumping of sewage portends a proverbial doomsday scenario for the city very soon. Add to that, the economics related to the current system of sewage disposal only accentuates the divide between the rich and the poor.

What then can be done to ameliorate the situation has been pointed out in the book through a few suggestions, for instance, mapping and treating of all the sewage, reuse-recycling of the treated sewage, particularly in housing colonies, and optimising water use in all ways possible. A grim reminder of the fact that we all live downstream should be enough to stir some action now.

The book release was followed by the screening of a 32-minute film Faecal Attraction: Political Economy of Defecation. Made by CSE, the film impressively depicted the inadequacies in our river-cleaning programmes which are both capital and technology intensive, but have not yet been able to stem the Yamuna’s misfortunes. At this rate and manner, it is also unlikely that any change can be brought about in the once ‘holy’ river’s condition. The only way out requires a rational rethinking of our approach, else we will be left with a Yamuna no more.