Sri Sri event a step closer towards Yamuna’s death, say experts

With the World Culture Festival underway with the Art of Living Foundation agreeing to pay the amount of Rs 5 crore in installments, environmentalists have pointed out how this will add a step further towards the death of river Yamuna.

Manoj Mishra of Yamuna Jiye Abhiyan, who has been at the forefront of the movement to protect the river in the city and was also the first petitioner at NGT to stop AoL’s event, highlighted the ecological significance of the place where the event is presently taking place.

Mishra said: “The site is the mouth of Barapullah drain before it meets Yamuna. Such sites are eco sensitive as they play the roles of natural filters for waste water in the drain before they fall into the river. Now with the degradation of these areas you can imagine what would happen to such filters.”

Bhim Rawat of South Asia Network of Dams River and People also highlighted the significance of floodplains and how repeated degradation in the city will affect the water supply of the city. Highlighting on the current event Rawat said: “The 1,000 acre land that will be impacted by Art of Living has a potential of giving a perennial and sustainable water supply of over 1 million cubic meters of water a year. A water-stressed city like Delhi cannot afford to damage such a perennial resource.”

Environmentalists have, however, pointed out that how the city is letting Yamuna die gradually. Amita Bhaduri of India Water Portal highlighted that Yamuna is already facing the brunt of untreated garbage being dumped in the river bed and the river stretch is constantly getting dried up. Bhaduri gave the example of how huge amount of water extraction at Wazirabad barrage is leaving very little water in the river for most parts of the year and how it gets further deteriorated because of the unchecked river pollution. Bhaduri said: “We do not have a river flowing in Delhi but a giant stinking pond.”