The water resources department should prepare penalties for rubbish dumping into rivers like the Yamuna, according to a parliamentary committee. The committee advised the department to engage with the Ministry of Jal Shakti to encourage organic farming near the Yamuna by reducing chemical fertiliser and pesticide use.
A parliamentary committee advised the water resources department to issue penalties for rubbish dumping into rivers like Yamuna. The committee has asked the Ministry of Jal Shakti department to work with the Ministry of Agriculture and Farmers’ Welfare to encourage organic farming along the river by reducing the use of chemical fertilizers and pesticides.
The Lok Sabha heard the Standing Committee on Water Resources’ 27th report, ‘Review of Upper Yamuna River Cleaning Projects up to Delhi and River Bed Management in Delhi’ on Tuesday. No study has examined the effects of building and demolition debris and biomedical waste disposal on the Yamuna. To deter dumping, the Delhi Development Authority (DDA) has deployed security guards, installed monitoring, and issued challans, the committee said.
Dumping debris, construction material, and biomedical waste can block water flow during strong precipitation and cause flash floods, the committee said. Waste in the river harms its environment and degrades the surrounding areas.
All parties must act quickly, clearly, and together to reduce pollution and preserve it, according to the committee. National Mission for Clean Ganga (NMCG) divides the Yamuna into three segments, with the Delhi portion heavily polluted.
Under NWMP, CPCB assesses Yamuna water quality at 33 places alongside SPCBs from Uttarakhand, Himachal Pradesh, Haryana, Delhi, and Uttar Pradesh. All four Uttarakhand and Himachal Pradesh monitored areas meet the requirement, but all six Haryana monitored locations do not.
The committee noted that there is no study on how much the cremation procedure pollutes the Yamuna. The committee recommended the agency to help states build electric and CNG furnaces to decrease Yamuna pollution. To avoid river water contamination, the committee advised moving cremation sites away from Yamuna banks.
Conclusion
To reduce fertilizer and pesticide health risks, a parliamentary committee advised the water resources department to ban waste dumping into rivers like the Yamuna. DDA has taken steps to avoid dumping, but the committee wants all stakeholders to work together to preserve the river for future generations. The group also suggests promoting organic farming with the Ministry of Agriculture and funding state pollution reduction efforts.
