The document discusses the poor condition of rivers in India, specifically the Yamuna River. It notes that while river action plans have been in place for 22 years, the quality of the rivers remains poor. The Yamuna River fails to meet standards for bathing in several stretches due to high levels of fecal coliform and low dissolved oxygen. Despite sewage treatment plants being built, untreated sewage continues to be discharged into drains leading to the river. A new approach is needed that focuses on reducing water usage and waste, treating sewage closer to the source, and reusing treated water.

1. Dead rivers in India Centre for Science and Environment, April 10 , 2007

2. River action plans in India…

3. Twenty two years later 1 crore = 10 million

4. River cleaning strategies Sewage interception & diversion Sewage treatment plants (STPs) Low-cost sanitation works to prevent open defecation Electric crematoria River front works (eg-bathing ghats) Plantation, public awareness, etc.

5. River factsheet

6. Yamuna stretch Himalayan segment 172-km Upper stretch 224-km Delhi stretch 22-km Eutrophicated stretch 490-km Diluted segment 468-km Not meeting coliform bathing standard Not meeting coliform, DO and BOD bathing standard Not meeting coliform, and BOD bathing standard Eastern Yamuna canal TAJEWALA BARRAGE YAMUNANAGAR PANIPAT SONEPAT WAZIRABAD BARRAGE NIZAMUDDIN BARRAGE OKHLA BARRAGE MAJHAWALI MATHURA AGRA ATESHWAR ETAWAH UDI AURIYA/JUHIKHA ALLAHABAD Banas river Chambal river Sind river Betwa river Dhasan river Ken river Ganga river Y a m u n a r I v e r N

7. Zero dilution

8. Faecal coliform counts

9. Delhi’s 22 drains

10. Costly plans Already Rs 55-75 crore per km has been spent in Delhi stretch. YAP-II will add Rs 25 crore per km.

11. No dissolved oxygen

12. Faecal coliform counts

13. Problem: Learn from Yamuna STPs plants built but not used Where there is sewage, there’s no STPs Where there’s STPs, there’s no sewage! Treated mixed with untreated effluent (‘legal’ waste of rich mixed with “illegal waste” of poor) All effluent (treated & untreated) discharged into drain. Leads to river. No improvement in water quality No longer can the river dilute waste (no assimilative capacity)

14. DELHI Per capita availability 211 lpcd 2011 Master plan targets 363 lpcd Cities want more. All cities plan to increase water availability to meet needs. Policies focus only on supply

15. The water-waste-pollution link Cost of treatment depends on the amount of water used

16. Who pollutes the Yamuna? The rich or the poor? Generates 10-30 mld waste (40 to 135 lpcd water supply); 0.3 to 0.9 per cent of Delhi’s waste

17. Change water-waste paradigm Reduce water use . Minimise waste. Treat all sewage (no ‘illegal waste’) from open & closed drains Treat sewage as close to source as possible (treat residual waste in drains at point of drainage into river) Reuse and recycle treated water. Rich must pay more for their water-waste. Make existing facilities more efficient (before more “hardware”) Keep treated and untreated water unmixed - reduce treatment cost

18. Waste sums ● We generate: 33, 212 mld of sewage. ● We have the capacity to treat: 6,190 mld of sewage. ● We actually treat: 4,469 mld of sewage (72 per cent). ● Therefore: 28,743 mld of sewage not treated.

19. Waste sums ● Annual cost of treatment of 6,190 mld sewage is Rs 135 - 677 crore. ● Capital costs to build STPs= Rs 7,566 crore - Rs 16,753 crore.

20. Source: Planning Commission Note: Outlays shown are Central plus State investments at current prices Money will never be enough Investment on water-sanitation (as percentages of total plan outlay)