The national capital receives 95 per cent of its vegetables and fruits from other states. Of the remaining five per cent, half of these are grown using Yamuna’s polluted water. As the government’s reported move to ban the farming would render many farmers jobless, it is speculated that the land will now be used for farming of flowers.
Soon after the World Health Organization (WHO) dubbed Delhi as one of the most polluted cities, the government set up a high level committee to check on the growing air and water pollution. The committee deliberated about the vegetables and fruits grown along the 22-Km long river as they contained highly toxic chemicals which were unfit for human consumption.
The government is also examining a study conducted by The Energy Research Institute (TERI), which showed that continuous dumping of untreated industrial waste into the river had contaminated the riverbed soil.
The TERI report, titled ‘Living in a cleaner environment in India: A strategic analysis and assessment’ stated that level of nickel, manganese and lead in the Yamuna’s water were found to be higher than the international aquatic water quality criteria for fresh water.
The study was based on 13 samples collected from a 2 km stretch along the river. Samples were also collected from Dayalpur and Chandawali villages in Ballabhgarh district of Haryana, about 25 Km away from Delhi, to compare them with those collected from the urban sector. The report revealed that the levels of nickel, manganese, lead and mercury were above the permissible international standards in agricultural soil along the river.
While moderately high levels of contamination were recorded in urban areas, the rural belt relatively showed negligible levels. The findings also revealed that green leafy vegetables contained the highest amount of metals. This is because such vegetables have a high tendency to accumulate metals.
The study identified Wazirabad and Okhla barrage as the hotspots for soil contamination. This is primarily because huge amount of industrial waste is discharged into Najafgarh and Shahdara drains.
Soon after the World Health Organization (WHO) dubbed Delhi as one of the most polluted cities, the government set up a high level committee to check on the growing air and water pollution. The committee deliberated about the vegetables and fruits grown along the 22-Km long river as they contained highly toxic chemicals which were unfit for human consumption.
The government is also examining a study conducted by The Energy Research Institute (TERI), which showed that continuous dumping of untreated industrial waste into the river had contaminated the riverbed soil.
The TERI report, titled ‘Living in a cleaner environment in India: A strategic analysis and assessment’ stated that level of nickel, manganese and lead in the Yamuna’s water were found to be higher than the international aquatic water quality criteria for fresh water.
The study was based on 13 samples collected from a 2 km stretch along the river. Samples were also collected from Dayalpur and Chandawali villages in Ballabhgarh district of Haryana, about 25 Km away from Delhi, to compare them with those collected from the urban sector. The report revealed that the levels of nickel, manganese, lead and mercury were above the permissible international standards in agricultural soil along the river.
While moderately high levels of contamination were recorded in urban areas, the rural belt relatively showed negligible levels. The findings also revealed that green leafy vegetables contained the highest amount of metals. This is because such vegetables have a high tendency to accumulate metals.
The study identified Wazirabad and Okhla barrage as the hotspots for soil contamination. This is primarily because huge amount of industrial waste is discharged into Najafgarh and Shahdara drains.