Incessant Pollution,World Heritage Sites & Govt's Apathy: How Yamuna River Is Slowly Dying In Agra?

The city of Agra has a long golden history from Sikandar Lodi to the Mughals. It also boasts of many heritage sites along with three UNESCO-protected monument. In these tree sites, the monument of Taj Mahal, which is included in the seventh wonder of the world, is also there.

Taj Mahal was built by the Mughal Emperor Shah Jahan in 1632. Apart from it, there are many other world heritage sites in this city such as Agra Fort and Fatehpur Sikri (City of victory) which was built by Akbar. Along with this, there are other monuments built by the Mughals all over the city, which have been kept in the category of protected heritage by ASI.

Despite having a distinct identity, the Yamuna river in this city is in a worse condition today. The river of Agra i.e. Yamuna has become very polluted now. Now, the city of Agra is also forced to bear the brunt of air pollution. The air quality index of the city was above 405 in November 2021 last year. It has been placed in the Red Zone due to exceeding the dangerous level of air pollution. But the situation remains the same as the city administration has not made any concrete arrangements.

Due to air pollution and contamination of river Yamuna, it is having an adverse effect on the Taj Mahal. On 30 December 1996, the Supreme Court declared an area of ​​10400 sq km including Agra as the Taj Trapezium Zone for the protection of the Taj Mahal.

Due to TTZ, the city's coal-fired industries, foundry industries, and other industries that used to be polluting either closed down or reduced the pollution factors in their industries. Following the direction of the Supreme Court, the height of the chimneys of Mathura Refinery was raised and their direction was shifted to the other side so that the smoke could not enter the city.

Yamuna Is Getting More Polluted Due To Administrative Apathy

The Yamuna river receives polluted water from the drains in the city . There are about 92 drains that fall directly into Yamuna, out of which 62 drains are untapped. At the same time, about 70 drains are being treated with bio-remediation technology.

The Uttar Pradesh Pollution Control Board had in April last year released a detailed report on the pollution status in Yamuna river in the city, stating that the Yamuna entering Agra from Kailash Ghat has become severely polluted. The Yamuna is now almost three times more polluted than it was in the past several years.

The water of Yamuna is not suitable for irrigation at this place. At the same time, VA Tech Wabag has been paid 48 crores in a year by Agra Municipal Corporation for operation of sewage treatment plant (STP) and sewerage treatment line to stop sewerage in Yamuna river. Despite this, the contaminated water of the drains is going directly into the Yamuna.

Canals have been constructed by the Uttar Pradesh government to prevent the contaminated water from falling directly into the Yamuna. Through this, the contaminated water of the drains is being treated with phyto-remediation technique by taking it into the pond, even after this till now the drains have not stopped falling directly into the Yamuna. Due to which the National Green Tribunal (NGT) has also imposed a fine on it several times.

Penalties Imposed By NGT

The National Green Tribunal (NGT) in August 2015 imposed a fine of Rs 1 lakh on the Agra Municipal Corporation for dumping garbage in the Yamuna river and blocking a pipeline carrying sewage.

In another case, the NGT had sought a detailed report on December 1, 2021, while forming a committee of ADA, DM and UP Pollution Control Board, on the discharge of sewage from the housing colony Nalanda Tower on Shamsabad Road on open land. Along with this, instructions were also given that if the budget is not available, then funds should be collected from the people living in the colony keeping in view the environmental protection and health of the general public.

The Supreme Court had ordered shifting of the dairy industry operating in the city out of the city two decades ago. Under which in 2005, the District Magistrate of Agra had directed the Agra Development Authority to prepare an action plan to shift the dairies.

The ADA had proposed the acquisition of 130.16 acres of land in Karbhana in the year 2007, but after the objection of the Divisional Commissioner the proposal was shelved. After much deliberation it was finally decided in the year 2010 that the dairy industry of the city would be shifted to Lohakarera, Bhagupur and Ujrai.

Before the acquisition of land in these villages, the ADA had entrusted the responsibility of submitting the detailed project report to a private company about two years ago. Even after a lapse of time, the company is yet to finalize the DPR.

The cow dung of these animal husbandry established in the city is going directly into Yamuna through drains. The shocking thing is that due to the negligence of the government officials, these cows and buffaloes are left open by their owners in the Yamuna river for bathing and cleaning, due to which the Yamuna becomes even more polluted.

Therefore, it would be fair to say that due to negligence, the form of Yamuna has now turned into a drain.

Also Read: DGCA Imposes Rs 5 Lakh Ban On IndiGo Airline For Not Allowing Boarding To Specially-Abled Child