Maliwal calls for urgent measures to address deteriorating condition of Yamuna River

New Delhi: In a poignant and forceful address during the Zero Hour of Rajya Sabha session, Swati Maliwal, Member of Parliament, called for urgent measures to address the deteriorating condition of the Yamuna River.

Maliwal’s speech underscored the critical need for action to prevent further environmental and public health damage.

Describing the Yamuna as an essential lifeline for Delhi and a revered entity in ancient texts such as the Vedas and the Mahabharata, Maliwal expressed profound concern over the river’s current polluted state. “Despite being a symbol of life and purity, the Yamuna has been reduced to a polluted drain due to systemic failures,” she stated, highlighting the disparity between the river’s historical significance and its current condition.

Maliwal presented stark statistics to emphasise the gravity of the situation. She reported that “22 drains discharge 238 million gallons of untreated sewage into the Yamuna every day.”

The river’s condition has deteriorated to the point where it “now contains more foam than water,” with Delhi contributing a staggering “76 per cent of the river’s total pollution in the region.” Furthermore, Maliwal noted that while Delhi needs “55 Sewage Treatment Plants,” only “35 are operational,” and among these, “22 do not meet

the required standards for effective sewage treatment.”