Disrupted lifeline

Delhi’s Yamuna River, once a lifeline of the city, has become the epicentre of political mudslinging and environmental despair. As the 2025 Delhi elections approach, the fate of the Yamuna River looms large over Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal and his Aam Aadmi Party (AAP), casting a shadow over their promises and political credibility. A river that once symbolised the lifeblood of the capital now stands as a testament to the AAP government’s failure to address the pollution that has plagued its waters for years. The party’s 2015 manifesto, which promised to rejuvenate the Yamuna and ensure the river’s cleanliness by 2025, seems a distant dream, especially as Kejriwal’s previous bold declaration to “take a dip” in the river if it’s cleaned by the time of the elections now hangs in the balance.

Arvind Kejriwal admitted to falling short on three key promises, including cleaning of the Yamuna, providing clean drinking water, and upgrading Delhi’s roads to European standards. He attributed the delay to the central government targeting AAP leaders with false corruption cases that resulted in this. “Significant progress has been made in these years, and all three tasks will be completed in the next five years,” he assured.

Kejriwal’s 2015 promise was an ambitious one, rooted in a vision of a cleaner, rejuvenated river with better sewage treatment, expanded sewer networks, and recreational riverside developments. Fast forward to the present, and the situation on the ground tells a different story, one that is not just an environmental catastrophe but also a political battleground. The pollution levels in the Yamuna have reached alarming levels, with untreated sewage, industrial effluents, and toxic foam on its surface marking the river as a public health crisis.

AAP’s 2015 promises: a distant dream

The Aam Aadmi Party’s manifesto in 2015 made ambitious promises regarding the Yamuna’s restoration. The party’s pledge to clean the Yamuna and turn it into a beautiful riverside was central to its campaign, with an emphasis on making Delhi a cleaner and greener city. At the time, AAP committed to ensuring 100 per cent collection and treatment of Delhi’s sewage, expanding the city’s sewer network, and setting up new sewage treatment plants. There was even a promise to develop a riverside that would serve as a recreational space for residents, helping not only to rejuvenate the river but also to improve the quality of life for millions in the city.

However, as Delhi’s water woes persist, the promises made in 2015 now seem like empty words. Instead of a clean and serene Yamuna, what has emerged is a river suffering from severe pollution, with untreated sewage and industrial waste continuing to flow into it unchecked. Despite claims of increased sewage treatment and infrastructure development, the river remains heavily polluted, and toxic foam still forms along its surface.

The political back-and-forth: AAP vs BJP

The Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) has seized the opportunity to challenge Kejriwal and the AAP-led government, accusing them of failing to meet their promises and mockingly calling on the chief minister to “take a dip” in the polluted Yamuna, just as he had once vowed to do if the river were cleaned before the elections. In November 2024, the BJP Delhi unit president, Virendra Sachdeva, took a dramatic plunge into the toxic waters of the Yamuna at the ITO Ghat, challenging Kejriwal and Atishi, the current Delhi Chief Minister, to follow suit. The BJP’s move was meant to expose the AAP’s failure in cleaning the river.

Sachdeva earlier remarked, “We’ve challenged Chief Minister Atishi and AAP national convener Arvind Kejriwal to visit and assess the deplorable condition of the river.” In response to the BJP’s theatrics, the AAP stated, “The BJP are intentionally doing this to defame the AAP with no concern for festivities or citizens. How come Yamuna develops excessive foam only around Diwali and Chhath each year?”

Earlier, Delhi Chief Minister Atishi said that the BJP’s “dirty politics” was behind the air and water pollution in Delhi. “The pollution levels in Delhi are increasing. The people of Delhi want to know the reason behind this, and I tell them the real reason is the dirty politics of the BJP. BJP leaders have been visiting Kalindi Kunj for photoshoots, but the real cause of the toxic foam in the Yamuna is industrial waste being dumped into the river by factories in Haryana. The UP government also contributes to the problem by releasing polluted water into the Yamuna.” The AAP accuses the BJP of using the issue of pollution to score political points, while the BJP argues that the AAP has misused public resources and failed to deliver on its promises. Both parties blame each other for the state of the river, and the political theatre surrounding the issue shows no signs of abating.

Toxic foam: a public health nightmare

The most visible sign of the Yamuna’s ongoing pollution is the toxic foam that often blankets its surface, particularly during festivals. This foam is the result of untreated sewage, industrial waste, and chemicals entering the river, causing serious health risks for those living near its banks. During the Chhath festival, despite repeated warnings, many devotees took part in rituals in the polluted waters, underscoring the cultural significance of the river and the desperate need for its restoration.

Residents living near the Yamuna’s banks have long been subjected to the toxic effects of the river’s pollution. Bhola, a boatman who has lived near the river for over 20 years, shared his experience, “I have been living here for almost 20 years, and before that, the Yamuna water used to be clean. I have only been hearing promises of cleaning the water. Every other day, people from the Delhi Jal Board come here to check the water, but I have not seen any change. Because of this water, my right eye has stopped working, and I have respiratory issues as well.”

Manoj Tiwari, a BJP leader, also joined the protest at the riverfront and stated that the AAP government had failed to deliver on its promise. “We are also worried how people will stand in such water. People cannot even touch such polluted water.”

Residents like Bhola and others living by the river have been exposed to severe health issues, ranging from respiratory problems to skin diseases, due to the constant exposure to the polluted water. Pawan, another boatman, said, “People like us who live nearby and don’t have proper access to water have to use this dirty water to do our daily chores, which has made everyone ill. I suffer from skin issues. The clothes washed with this water cannot be used for more than two months as they start losing colour.”

The doctor’s concern: a public health crisis

A senior public health expert, emphasised the alarming health risks posed by the polluted Yamuna, especially for residents who live in close proximity to the river. “The toxic froth on the river’s surface is primarily caused by untreated industrial discharge and domestic sewage, and it poses serious health risks to those living near the river or in contact with its water,” the doctor said.

The toxic foam and untreated sewage contain harmful chemicals like ammonia and phosphates, which can cause skin irritation, respiratory problems, and exacerbate pre-existing conditions like asthma or bronchitis. She pointed out that hospitals and clinics in the region have seen a sharp increase in patients suffering from skin allergies, rashes, and fungal infections due to direct contact with the water during chhath and other festivities. “Additionally, there is a surge in cases of waterborne diseases such as typhoid, cholera, and hepatitis A, especially in children and older adults who are more vulnerable,” she added.

She also mentioned the environmental and public health impact of air pollution caused by volatile organic compounds released from the froth. “Patients with chronic illnesses like asthma, bronchitis, and other lung disorders report aggravated symptoms after prolonged exposure to the river’s vicinity.”

The activist’s perspective: a call for accountability

Jyoti Pande Lavakare, an environmental activist and author, decried the government’s indifference to the pollution crisis, saying, “Pollution has never been high on the government’s agenda, despite its promises and slogans, whether it’s water, air, or soil. Otherwise, a country that can send a successful mission to the moon, as the world has acknowledged, could easily provide its citizens with their fundamental rights of clean water and air.”

Lavakare highlighted the normalisation of pollution in India, where even holy rivers like the Yamuna and Ganga have not been spared from industrial pollutants. “We worship them, but we don’t honour them by cleaning them. Have you seen the colour of the water in these rivers?” she lamented.

The worsening water crisis

In addition to the pollution, the Yamuna’s contamination has created a severe water crisis in Delhi. High ammonia levels in the river have caused a significant reduction in water supply from the Wazirabad Water Treatment Plant (WTP), which serves a large part of Delhi. Ammonia levels have exceeded 5.0 ppm in the river, making it impossible for the plant to treat the water effectively. As a result, areas like Majnu Ka Tila, Kashmiri Gate ISBT, and Greater Kailash are experiencing low water pressure or complete water shortages. These disruptions are a constant reminder of the government’s inability to tackle the pollution crisis and provide clean water to its citizens.

A crisis in need of urgent attention

The Yamuna River, once a vital part of Delhi’s ecosystem, now stands as a symbol of political failure and environmental neglect. As the 2025 Delhi elections draw nearer, the government’s inability to address the pollution crisis and fulfill its promises of a cleaner river will remain a key issue for voters. The toxic foam, untreated sewage, and industrial waste continue to plague the river, causing serious health risks for those living nearby.

For the residents of Delhi, particularly those living near the river, the pollution is not just an environmental concern, it is a daily struggle for survival. As the election season heats up, both the AAP and BJP must confront the urgent reality of Yamuna’s pollution, not just as a political issue, but as a matter of public health and environmental justice.

Views expressed are personal