Pollution in Delhi stretch of Yamuna spiked in June, as per DPCC

The 54-km stretch of the Yamuna in Delhi is one of the most polluted river stretches in the country.
| Photo Credit: SUSHIL KUMAR VERMA

The pollution level in the Yamuna river stretch in Delhi increased in June compared with the previous month, according to the Delhi Pollution Control Committee’s (DPCC) monthly water quality report.

The 54-km Delhi stretch of the Yamuna is one of the most polluted river stretches in the country. Over the past three decades, the Supreme Court and the National Green Tribunal have passed several orders directing authorities to clean the river.

The levels of faecal coliform (microbes from human and animal excreta) and biochemical oxygen demand (BOD) have increased at Asgarpur, the point where the Yamuna exits the city, as per the DPCC report.

BOD is the amount of dissolved oxygen consumed by microorganisms to decompose organic matter. A higher BOD implies a greater pollution load.

In June, the faecal coliform level in Asgarpur was found to be 24,00,000 MPN (most probable number) per 100 ml, which was 4,800 times the desired limit of 500 MPN/100 ml considered safe for bathing, as per the Central Pollution Control Board.

In May, the level was 23,00,000 MPN/100 ml, 4,600 times the desirable limit.

Faecal coliform levels at multiple other points of the river have also shown an increase.

The level of faecal coliform and BOD at Palla, where the river enters Delhi from Haryana, has also shown an increase in June compared with May, suggesting that the river was more polluted when it entered the national capital.

However, at all points in Delhi where water samples were tested, except Palla, faecal coliform levels were found to be above the desirable and the ‘maximum permissible’ levels.

“The pollution level is rising and data show that there is an increase in the amount of untreated sewage entering the river,” said Sushmita Sengupta, senior programme manager (water), Centre for Science and Environment (CSE).

In May, a report by CSE, a Delhi-based research and advocacy group, noted that the levels of faecal coliform in the Yamuna, an indicator of the sewage load in a river, were so high in Delhi that the river stretch in the Capital was practically a “sewage canal”.

Published – July 17, 2025 12:52 am IST

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