Yamuna: Froth For Tears

The 1376km long course of Yamuna has not only helped India geographically, but has played a prevalent role in the country’s mythological and Mughal history as well.

Yamuna is one of the holiest rivers in Hinduism, second to the Ganges (Ganga). The river has been mentioned many times in epics as a backdrop for events like yajnas (sacrifices) and austerities.

As per mythology, Yamuna’s mother Sanjna could not bear to look at her bright and dazzling husband, The Sun God (Surya). She would look upon him with “samyama” (meaning restraint in Sanskrit), therefore their son was called Yama and daughter Yamuna. Unable to take care of her children properly due to her husband’s brightness, she left her sister Chaaya(shadow) in charge of their upbringing.

Chaaya however, was not very compassionate towards Sanjna’s children. One day, Yama, unable to tolerate Chaaya’s cruelty any longer, stomped on her foot. Enraged by this, Chaaya laid a curse upon him causing him to lose his foot. Yamuna, his beloved sister could not bear this injustice. Thus, She came to Earth and prayed for the curse to be revoked.

In memory of this profound sibling love, "Bhai Dooj" is celebrated in various parts of the country. Sisters pray for their brothers to have a long life and brothers vow to look after and protect their sisters.

 In a tale pertaining to Lord Krishna's birth, his father Vasudeva carried him to safety. While crossing the Yamuna River, he asked the river Goddess to make way for him, which she did by creating a safe passage through her. This was the first time that she saw Krishna, who she married later in life. 

Krishna also spent most of his youth in Vrindavan on the banks of Yamuna, playing the flute and playing with his lover Radha and the gopis on the banks.

Traditionally, temples across India have two images on either side of the entrance: Ganga and Yamuna. The two river-Goddesses transform the temple into a ‘tirtha’ or ford, a holy place that connects the human world to the divine world.

"We forget that the water cycle and the life cycle are one.”  -Jacques Yves Cousteau

The Yamuna River also known as Jamuna is one of the major rivers of the Ganges River system. This sacred river is of immense importance to India both economically as well as ecologically and is thus considered as the lifeline of India. Below is a tour of the river's course. Along its 1,376 kilometers long course, river Yamuna drains a highly prolific region, and its waters help in irrigating vast fields of agricultural plains in the North Indian States of Punjab, Haryana, and Uttar Pradesh.

The river provides nearly 10,000 cubic billion meters of water. Apart from this approximately 57 million people are dependent on the waters of the Yamuna for their daily subsistence and about 70% of Delhi’s potable water supply is rendered by it. The Yamuna River throughout its course, sustains a rich biodiversity, housing many varieties of aquatic plants, fishes etc.

‘The biggest threat to our planet is the belief that somebody else will save it.’ - Robert Swann

Mankind is also commonly referred to as Homo sapiens which translates to ‘wise creatures’. But the real question is, are we really being wise?

Human activities such as deforestation, land degradation, pollution have indeed altered our ecosystem at a very fast rate. River Yamuna, the largest tributary of the River Ganga, is a great example for the same.

In the early 20th century, Yamuna's waters were described as clear blue. However, due to a variety of reasons, it is one of the most polluted rivers in the world today. Only 2% of the of the river flows through Delhi, yet it contributes to about 76% of the total pollution load in the river.  What could be the reasons that plummeted the condition of a river that was once worshiped by the people of India?

•  Rapid industrialization and high population density are to be blamed.  
• Sewage and industrial effluents end up percolating into the ground or in the river.
• Industries discharge toxic effluents into the drains in addition to tons of construction wastes which ultimately ends up in the river.
• Immersion of Idols during festivals with cheap lead and chrome paints, plaster of Paris and puja articles such as polythene bags, foam cut-outs, flowers, food offerings, decorations, metal polish, plastic sheets, cosmetic items are all a cause for concern regarding the river’s quality.
• According to a report submitted by the Delhi Pollution Control Committee and the Central Pollution Control Board (CPCB) at least 90% of domestic wastewater in the city flows into the Yamuna. The wastewater mainly comes from household activities, hence the presence of high content of detergent, laundry chemicals etc. 
• Lastly, in Agra, the Yamuna has been choked by intense plastic pollution. Even after the 2017 ban on single use plastics, rampant use is incessant.

Yamuna has practically no aquatic life left due to choking on plastic, toxic waste and this has caused localized extinction of species downstream around areas like Delhi and Agra. This same water merges into the Ganges and drains into the Bay of Bengal, affecting not just one ecosystem.

Planktons are an important species for regulation of marine ecosystems owing to their ability to create organic compounds from dissolved carbon dioxide. As such, there has been a drastic decline in phytoplankton population too. A healthy ecosystem and nitrogen cycle in a river is essential for it to flourish. This results in the creation of a paradox - there is no longer a habitat for marine life due to which they die out, and without them the river cannot restore its lost ecosystem.

Following are a few major observations made in the river ecosystem:

• Phyto planktons do not degrade the metallic pollutants, instead accumulate it by adsorption on their cell wall which becomes a source of bioaccumulation in the food chain
• Fishes that live in the polluted water get infected by these metals as they consume infected algae and water. The bioaccumulation process occurs and these heavy metals start to cause hazard in fishes
• Heavy metal contamination in fishes results in the damage of gills and lungs. All heavy metals exhibit their toxic effects via metabolic interference and mutagenesis. Death in aquatic animals may occur due to nutrient pollutions (e.g., nitrogen, phosphates, etc.) present in the toxic algae.
• Fishes infected by heavy metals are consumed by humans and cause diseases in humans too. And so, fishes are becoming a major source of methyl mercury exposure, and dental amalgam. Long term exposure to these heavy metals can cause cancers, hyperkeratosis, and pigmentation changes.

Yamuna's plight has not gone unnoticed by the people, or the government and many actions are underway to restore the river's purity namely the Yamuna Action Plan.

The Yamuna Action Plan (YAP) was a project between the Government of India and Japan, introduced in 1993. It is one of the largest river restoration projects in India.

We plan to use this platform as a medium to spread awareness among people all over the world and to inspire them to save not only the river Yamuna, but nature all around the globe.

• We as students, can raise campaigns and influence the masses through social media with real time streaming of changing conditions of the river, which will be possible after COVID ends due to our proximity to the river. Strength in numbers can easily create a difference.
• One does not need to live near the river to help, however. Another way is funding government and privately owned endeavors and popularizing alternate sustainable methods.