How the Yamuna shaped Delhi and Delhi destroyed it

Throughout its history, the Yamuna river has played a pivotal role in shaping the city of Delhi, acting as a lifeline and a source of inspiration for its inhabitants. From ancient civilizations to the modern era, the river held immense ecological and cultural significance.

However, in recent decades, Delhi's neglect and rampant pollution have taken a toll on the Yamuna, transforming it from a symbol of prosperity and beauty into an ecological disaster.

River Yamuna: A history

The Yamuna River witnessed the rise and fall of numerous civilizations, spanning from pre-Mauryan cultures to independent India. It provided water, sustenance, and irrigation, ensuring that the city never faced water scarcity or famine.

• One of the earliest settlements of Indraprastha (around 1000 BC) in the Purana Qila campus has yielded an elaborate manufacturing site hinting at agriculture, trade and habitation along the Yamuna.
• Later during the rule of the Tomars, Chauhans Turks and Afghans, different cities, namely Rai Pithora, Jahanpanah, Siri, and Mehrauli, flourished on the banks of the great river.

#YamunaStories: Purana Qila site, pre Mauryan era, was on #Yamuna. Even Mughals built Delhi Red Fort adjacent Yamuna. But British seemed worried about monsoon floods, Lutyens preferred Raisina Hill, far from river. This divorce slowly crept into social life of people too /2 pic.twitter.com/K4Pz9FIHRx

— Sanjay Bhattacharyya (@AmbSanjay_) July 27, 2020

• During Sher Shah's short stint in Delhi, Salimgarh Fort was constructed by the Sultan on a riverine island, which now is part of Delhi. The videos from the flood last week showed the Yamuna flooding the roads around the Salimgarh Fort, claiming the Yamuna to have reclaimed its old path.
• During Shah Jahan's rule in Shahjahanabad, the riverway acted as a premium waterway between Delhi and Agra. To the east of the Red Fort one Khizri Darwaza was used by Shah Jahan to enter the fort after its inauguration.

The old portraits of Delhi from the 19th century makes it clear that the Yamuna used to flow in these areas. Why should it be called a flood now? For Yamuna it is its flood plain, why did we make construction in the flood plain in first place? #DelhiFloods pic.twitter.com/JNzBPakihL

— Zaid Ali (@mohdzaidalig) July 13, 2023

• The spicy Mughalai cuisine we eat today is also said to have been influenced by Yamuna when Shah Jahan's hakim asked him to consume food heavy in heat and spice to combat the ill effects of Delhi water.
• The Mughal emperors, particularly Shah Jahan and Bahadur Shah Zafar, held a deep connection to the Yamuna, seeking leisure, spiritual solace, and inspiration from its waters. Boating, bathing, and riverside activities were common during the Mughal years.
• Following the transfer of the capital from Calcutta to New Delhi in 1911, the initial plan was to establish government buildings at Kingsway Camp (east of Dr Mukherjee Nagar). However, due to concerns about the food situation that year, the location was subsequently shifted to Raisena Hills by the British authorities.

Initially, the choice for the Viceroy’s House was the Kingsway camp on the northern side of the proposed town but the location was highly vulnerable to floods due to its proximity to the Yamuna River. Thus,Raisina Hill on the southern side was chosen for the vast high ground(n/n) pic.twitter.com/XP60loVsuS

— Delhi Archives (@Delhi_Archives) November 5, 2021

Wrong turn

As Delhi progressed into the modern era, the ecological flow of the Yamuna declined. Neglect and pollution turned the once-thriving river into a receptacle for the city's effluents and waste, erasing its presence from the urban landscape and public consciousness. The Yamuna lost its ecological and economic significance, affecting those who depended on it for their livelihoods.

• Over the past three decades, the Yamuna has experienced a rapid decline in water quality and ecological health. Delhi, despite having only 2% of the river's length flowing through its boundaries, contributes a staggering 76% of the total pollution load in the river.
• The discharge of untreated sewage and industrial effluents, coupled with the dumping of construction waste, has turned the river into one of the most polluted in the world.
• Post-independence, to accommodate new capital, many colonies and infrastructure, unauthorised and otherwise came up along the river, limiting its flow if and when it swelled.

It seems rejuvenation of river Yamuna has become 'Birbal Ki Khichdi'. Now, Delhi Pollution Control Committee has said that it's hard to see a cleaner Yamuna before 2023: Manoj Misra, former IFS officer and convener of Yamuna Jiye Abhiyaan pic.twitter.com/zZdkKsLtpW

— ANI (@ANI) September 5, 2021

• The excessive use of fertilisers and pesticides by farmers on the river's floodplains has further poisoned its waters, floodplains, and groundwater. In certain instances, there have been increased levels of toxins in the vegetables grown there, especially the ones that grow under the soil.
• The seasonal Yamuna tributaries off Aravalis that once fed the river have all turned into pitch black stinking nallahs, pouring thousands of litre of untreated effluent into the river.

If yamuna water is not polluted , then what harm is there in farming in yamuna floodplan. No where in Europe you will see such floodplains. We should not do construct but develop parks and green patches there. @narendramodi @ArvindKejriwal @PMOIndia @nitin_gadkari pic.twitter.com/knxd06LudI

— shivendra (@shivendraOnco) September 14, 2019

Revitalizing Yamuna

Instead of evoking spirituality, visuals of Chhath on the banks of Yamuna elicit emotions that are quite distant from the festival's essence.

Chhath puja has celebrated like this. Most heart breaking thing i saw today.This is the condition of india's one of the longest and oldest river yamuna in the national capital Delhi sorry 'Toxic Delhi'.@ArvindKejriwaI @PMOIndia #DelhiBachao #DelhiNCRPollution pic.twitter.com/ffioocyU6F

— Rashmi Anand (@RashmiAnand712) November 4, 2019

Time and again, various initiatives and studies have highlighted the severity of pollution and proposed potential solutions. The National Green Tribunal has issued directions to establish sewage and effluent treatment plants, while the Central Pollution Control Board has recommended organic farming and the reduction of chemical usage.

By acknowledging the importance of the Yamuna, Delhi can work towards reclaiming its past glory, ensuring a healthier future for the river and its role in shaping the city's identity.