Define environmental flow of Yamuna along lines of Ganga to maintain its health: Parliamentary committee

“The Committee further note that the major impediments for cleaning of river Yamuna are less flow at Wazirabad during dry period, illegal discharge of sewage and industrial effluent, disposal of solid waste in drains, improper functioning of CETPs (common effluent treatment plants) and insufficient sewage treatment capacity,” it said in the report presented in the Lok Sabha on Monday.

The committee, in its report, observed that a memorandum of understanding (MoU) was signed by the chief ministers of Himachal Pradesh, Haryana, Uttar Pradesh, Rajasthan, and National Capital Territory of Delhi on May 12, 1994, regarding allocation of utilisable surface flow of Yamuna up to Okhla Barrage (Upper Yamuna) among the co-basin states.

The MoU stipulated that ‘a minimum flow in proportion of completion of upstream storages going upto 10 cumec shall be maintained downstream of Tajewala and Okhla Headworks throughout the year from ecological considerations, as upstream storages are built up progressively in a phased manner’, the report said.

“Further, the Principal Bench of the National Green Tribunal (NGT) directed that the State of Haryana shall release 10 Cumec water directly into main stream of river Yamuna from Hathinikund Barrage and maintain e-flow of river till Wazirabad. The Committee note that as per the water released data, the minimum 10 Cumec (352 cusec) as stipulated in the MoU is being released downstreams of Hathinikund Barrage and Okhla Barrage throughout the year,” the report said.

According to the report, “The Committee observe that storage as stipulated by the 1994 MoU among the States for maintaining minimum flow in the river Yamuna throughout the year has not been built so far. Even the Department has reasoned that less flow at Wazirabad during dry period is one of the major issues that impedes cleaning of river Yamuna. The Committee, therefore, recommend the Department to make all out efforts in cooperation with the concerned States to build the storage capacity.”

“Further, the Committee also urge upon the Department to consider defining e-flow for the river Yamuna on the line of the river Ganga in order to maintain the health of the river and also its ecosystem,” the report said.