Major Improvement In Water Quality Of Yamuna River In July: Minister

Environment Minister Manjinder Singh Sirsa on Saturday said the Delhi Pollution Control Committee (DPCC) has reported a significant improvement in the water quality of the Yamuna river in July, with key pollution indicators showing marked progress compared to June.

Sirsa attributed the changes to sustained government efforts under the Yamuna cleaning program.

"These improvements are not incidental or seasonal. They are the result of deliberate and sustained human effort," he said.

The minister said that Rs 500 crore allocated for Yamuna cleaning is being used for upgrading sewage treatment plants, intercepting drains and preventing untreated discharges from entering the river.

The DPCC collected water samples from eight monitoring locations, including Palla, Wazirabad, ISBT Bridge, ITO Bridge, Nizamuddin Bridge and Okhla Barrage, the government said in a statement.

"According to the report, Biochemical Oxygen Demand (BOD) -- a key measure of organic pollution -- dropped sharply. At ITO Bridge, BOD levels fell from 70 mg/l in June to 20 mg/l in July. At Okhla Barrage, it declined from 46 mg/l to 8 mg/l," it added.

Chemical Oxygen Demand (COD), another critical pollution indicator, also showed improvement. COD at ITO Bridge reduced from 186 mg/l to 54 mg/l and from 100 mg/l to 30 mg/l at Okhla Barrage, the government said.

Dissolved Oxygen (DO) levels, which were near zero in parts of the river in June, increased significantly at locations like Palla and Wazirabad, suggesting better oxygenation.

"We are not celebrating yet, but these results show our approach is working. The transformation of Delhi's environment is underway," the minister said.

Sirsa also linked the progress on water quality to broader environmental gains under the Environment Action Plan 2025.

Delhi recorded 29 out of 31 days in July with 'good' or 'satisfactory' air quality, making it the cleanest July on record. 

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