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Yamuna’s pollution surges as faecal coliform reaches 160 lakh/100ml at Asgarpur. DO levels drop to zero at six locations. 16 of 36 STPs fail standards, raising concerns over untreated sewage and industrial effluents.
New Delhi: The Yamuna's water quality has worsened dramatically, with recent samples from February revealing an alarming surge in faecal coliform (FC) levels.
At Asgarpur, where the river exits Delhi, FC concentration hit 160 lakh per 100 ml—more than double January’s 79 lakh and the highest recorded since December 2020, when it was 120 crore per 100 ml. The safe limit for FC is 2,500 units, with an ideal benchmark of 500 units to sustain a healthy river ecosystem, says The Times of India report.
Other locations also reported dangerously high FC levels—54 lakh at the ISBT bridge and 43 lakh at the ITO bridge—indicating rampant sewage contamination.
Water quality reports show that the Yamuna enters Delhi at Palla with enough dissolved oxygen (DO) to support aquatic life. However, as it traverses the city, it transforms into a foul, lifeless drain. By the time it crosses the Signature Bridge, the river is stagnant in places, with murky, stinking water unfit for any form of life.
DO levels, which should be at least 5 mg/l, were met at Palla and Wazirabad but dropped to zero at six major locations—ISBT bridge, ITO bridge, Nizamuddin bridge, Okhla barrage, Agra canal, and Asgarpur. Meanwhile, biological oxygen demand (BOD), a key indicator of organic pollution, exceeded safe limits everywhere. At Asgarpur, BOD hit 72 mg/l—24 times higher than the acceptable limit.
Experts attribute the crisis to unchecked sewage discharge and malfunctioning sewage treatment plants (STPs).
“The alarming state of DO, BOD, and FC across all eight monitoring sites clearly shows that untreated domestic and industrial effluents are pouring into the Yamuna through drains,” said Bhim Singh Rawat, associate coordinator of the South Asia Network on Dams, Rivers, and People, the TOI report said. “The non-compliance of STPs is another major issue, highlighting the urgent need for increased river flow to dilute pollution.”
Diwan Singh, another activist, pointed to the Shahdara drain, which carries wastewater from the Ghazipur drain. “It’s one of the biggest culprits, carrying untreated sewage and industrial waste, not just from Delhi but also from Uttar Pradesh. The high quantity of industrial effluents mixing with sewage is making STPs non-compliant,” he said.
Pankaj Kumar, known as ‘Earth Warrior’ on social media, highlighted the gravity of the situation. “FC levels at Asgarpur are the highest in at least four years and remain significantly high at ISBT and ITO. This indicates that STPs are failing. Even the latest report shows that out of 36 STPs in Delhi, 16 aren’t meeting prescribed standards.”
With pollution levels spiking and STPs underperforming, activists are calling for stricter enforcement, improved treatment facilities, and urgent action to restore the Yamuna’s health before it becomes an irreversible crisis.
Also read: MP Swati Maliwal calls for immediate action to clean Yamuna river, table CAG report
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