Fading Aura of the Holy and the Worshipped

Rivers, as important to a country as blood is to humans, are heading right towards the wrecks of humanity, the burning hot pits of doom and what is being done to stop them? Nothing. Absolutely nothing. Yamuna (also known as Jamna), one of the holiest and most sacred rivers of India is also the most polluted. That is the strength of our faith. It is the fifth longest river in India, has been sustaining livelihood to millions of people ever since history, supplies 70% of Delhi’s potable water and yet, much to an environmentalist’s indignation, has received absolutely no practical consideration. Delhi dumps almost 58% of its waste into the river which makes one wonder if it can be labeled a river at all.

Yamuna flows over a distance of 1376 kilometers; it starts from the glacier Yamunotri in the lower Himalayas in Uttarakhand and meets the Ganges at Triveni Sangam, Allahbad. Further, it enters Delhi through the village Palla and traverses a distance of 48 kilometers through the capital city. The 22km long polluted segment of the river, as a result of massive urbanization lies between Wazirabad and Okhla. The total area it covers before merging with the majestic Ganges is 345,850 square km.

The existence of Yamuna in history has been proved by the Hindu mythology. According to legends, Yamuna was the daughter of Surya, the Sun God and Saranyu, the Goddess of Clouds. She was also the dark sister of Yama, the Hindu God of Death and thus, it’s widely believed that a dip in the river Jamna saves a person from the torments of death. The river is mentioned in many places in the Rig Veda. In Mahabharata, the Pandava capital of Indraprastha (situated on the banks of Yamuna) was considered to be the site of modern Delhi. On the banks of this historical river, several civilizations have taken birth and faded over time. Jamna has been the muse of exemplary poets and writers, the pieces of it breathing in the divine pages of history.

 Once the lifeline of North-Western India and the main tributary of river Ganges, it has now been reduced to a mere sewage body. With the post-world war II and post-independence in particular, India witnessed massive deforestation leading to soil erosion and many other issues. Simultaneously, industrialization and emphasis of modern living gained momentum. As the number of industries increased, the amount of waste did too and soon enough, Yamuna started to serve as the local acknowledged dustbin of the ignorant factories. Most of the dying river’s tributaries are dry or immensely polluted except Ken, Sind, Betwa, Chambal and a few others which continue to revive the river in the lower segment where it is most required. Then, there are some parts of the river where the oxygen level is 0 and thus, no known aquatic life form has managed to survive in those miserable areas.

Up until the 1960’s, the river was well maintained and properly looked after which attracted the attention of religious people from all over India and even the world. People belonging to diverse cultures specially journeyed to the Yamuna to marvel over the hymns of its flow. Soon enough, they started to take baths in the striking flow in hopes that the magical water of the Yamuna would take with it all the sins one had committed knowingly or unknowingly, people started immersing thousands of idols (made from harmful chemicals such as Plaster of Paris, plastic etc) every year after festivals like Durga Pooja and predictably, the river started to choke because of the excessive flowers, wastes, idols and plastic thrown into it with impunity. Almost 1500 crores were spent on the river but they only worsened its condition. Submerging idols made of any material other than clay or biodegradable substances was banned but no steps were taken to impose the same due to which no one took it seriously. No measures taken to attain welfare can help in any manner if one does not understand that if religious rites are to be sustainable, they must be ecologically responsible and accordingly balanced too.

Around 22 sewage pipes drain the wastes they carry with them into the Yamuna almost regularly and one can only imagine the amount of toxic chemicals they bring with them. Even though the government is working whole-heartedly to ensure the restoration of one of the most beloved rivers of India, the required result would not be received as long as the people, affecting and being affected by the river, are involved in the plan and are aware of the results of their actions too.

The river Yamuna, even after being glorified by the holy books of the Hindus as a powerful and kind-hearted Goddess, continues to be disrespected by its own followers in the most superficial ways imaginable to mankind. Unless and until the people who push Yamuna to the brinks of decline daily realize what they’re actually doing to enjoy their own personal lifetime is killing the very river they worship and believe in, and not helping the existence of the very same, are aware of their actions and of the causes of them, the once-stunning river would continue to slither towards the evilest death possible unstopped and perhaps, it’d too late before the realization finally hits. The future of Yamuna lies in the hands of the people, of us, and only via unflinching unity and unwavering spirit can we protect the malicious fate of the river we all hold dear to our hearts.

If the people do not join hands now, the outstanding splendor and color of the Yamuna will be lost to time and only time alone, forever.