The Yamuna flowing through Delhi becomes one of the most polluted waterways in the world. But there is one time of the year when it springs back to life. Photo: Vikas Choudhary/CSE
Rivers

The Yamuna’s season of abundance

During the four-month monsoon, the river’s ‘dead’ stretch in Delhi springs back to life

Vikas Choudhary

The Yamuna, the longest tributary of the Ganga and a sacred river in its own right, flows from the Yamunotri glacier to the Sangam confluence with the Ganga in Prayagraj. Twenty-two kilometres of its course passes through Delhi, the capital of India.

But this 22-km stretch from Wazirabad to Okhla accounts for 75 per cent of the river’s pollution load.

The monsoon brings with it good rain, steady water flow and clean water.

At other times of the year, the Yamuna is an almost ‘dead’ river in Delhi. However, come the monsoons (June-September) and the river comes to life.

As water from its catchment areas upstream reaches Delhi, life returns to the river.

As fish spawn, fishers camp on the river in the hope of a good catch.

Nearly 100 fishermen from Bihar and West Bengal camp along the Yamuna near the Okhla Barrage for these 2-3 months each year. The rains, clean water and steady flow bring with it, a good catch.