How not to treat a river

©  2010  Rose George

The Yamuna River in India is supposed to have descended from heaven. Actually, it descends from the Himalayas and passes through Delhi, by which time it is so overloaded with sewage, it is practically dead. The Yamuna is unfit for bathing, let alone drinking. 70 percent of its pollution, according to the Central Pollution Control Board, is caused by raw sewage. A recent week-long clean-up drive by students in the city of Taj Mahal had high aspirations – “Our aim is to extract pollutants like polythene from the river,” said one participant – though it was unclear how they would be achieved. So far, so usual, as the article concludes. “The Yamuna Action Plan, started in 1993 with the aim of conserving the river, has met with no success, despite billions of rupees being spent on it.”