About Rs 5,536 Crore Spent In Last 3 Years To Keep Yamuna River Clean: Centre

The Delhi Jal Board (DJB) has spent about Rs 5,536 crore over the last three financial years to keep the Yamuna River clean, the central government informed the Rajya Sabha on Monday.

The Yamuna enters the National Capital Territory of Delhi at village Palla, where its water quality is monitored by the Central Pollution Control Board (CPCB) through the Delhi Pollution Control Committee (DPCC).

As per CPCB data, the median Biochemical Oxygen Demand (BOD) and Dissolved Oxygen (DO) levels at Palla during the period from January to July 2025 were recorded at 4 mg/l and 6 mg/l, respectively.

However, the DPCC, in its Monthly Progress Report submitted to the National Mission for Clean Ganga (NMCG), reported that during monitoring in September 2025, the BOD

level was 2.5 mg/l and DO was 9.5 mg/l, which is within the prescribed limits for a healthy river.

The main causes of pollution in the Yamuna in Delhi include the discharge of untreated or partially treated sewage into the river. As informed by the DPCC, the gap in sewage treatment as of August 2025 stood at 414 million litres per day (MLD).

Other contributing factors include the absence of Common Effluent Treatment Plants (CETPs) in some approved industrial areas and delays in the completion as well as rehabilitation or upgradation of sewage treatment projects.

The DPCC also stated in its progress report that Delhi generates 11,862 tonnes per day (TPD) of solid waste, while treatment facilities exist for only 7,641 TPD, leaving a gap of 4,221 TPD in solid waste treatment.

To supplement the efforts of states in controlling pollution in the Yamuna, the NMCG is providing financial assistance to Himachal Pradesh, Haryana, Delhi and Uttar Pradesh.

Under the Namami Gange Programme, a total of 35 projects worth Rs 6,534 crore have been sanctioned for the rejuvenation of the Yamuna, aimed at creating 2,243 MLD of sewage treatment plant (STP) capacity. Of these, 21 projects have been completed so far.

The information was provided by the Minister of State for Jal Shakti, Raj Bhushan Choudhary, in a written reply to a question in the Rajya Sabha.