Union ministry tells par panel Yamuna water failed quality test at 22 of 33 locations
New Delhi, Apr 28 (PTI): The Union Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change on Monday said 22 of the 33 locations at Yamuna River being monitored did not meet the compliance standards of the Central Pollution Control Board (CPCB) in 2024.
A PowerPoint presentation by the ministry to a parliamentary standing committee said all seven and 12 locations in Delhi and Uttar Pradesh, respectively, failed the "primary water quality criteria for outdoor bathing", while all four locations in Uttarakhand and Himachal Pradesh each passed it, sources said.
In Haryana, three of the six locations at Yamuna met the required conditions, while as many failed, it added.
The CPCB's National Water Monitoring Programme (NWMP) evaluates water under the metrics of Dissolved Oxygen (DO), Biochemical Oxygen Demand (BOD), pH and Faecal Coliform.
Lack of adequate sewage treatment, besides untapped drains in the national capital, a major source of pollution in the river, which is the biggest tributary of the Ganga, are important causes for contamination in the Yamuna, the sources said.
The ministry, in its presentation to the committee, said 791 MLD (megalitres per day) of sewage out of the total 3,600 MLD generated in Delhi remains untreated, according to the figures of February 2025.
The ministry officials said out of 22 drains in the city, only nine are tapped, and two are partially tapped, according to the sources.
However, there are nine untapped drains in Tughlakabad, Abul Fazal, ISBT, Sonia Vihar, Kailash Nagar, Shastri Park, Barapulla, Maharani Bagh and Jaitpur, while two large drains -- Najafgarh and Shahdara -- are not technically feasible for tapping.
The ministry noted that Delhi Lieutenant Governor Vinai Kumar Saxena had constituted a high-level committee for reviewing the action plan to curb pollution in the Yamuna River in January 2023.
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Former ICAR member demands CBI probe into Padma Shri awardee Ayyappan's death
New Delhi, May 11 (PTI): A former member of the Indian Council of Agricultural Research (ICAR) on Sunday demanded a court-monitored CBI investigation into the "untimely and mysterious" death of former ICAR Director General and Padma Shri awardee Subbanna Ayyappan.
Venugopal Badaravada, previously on ICAR's Governing Body, said: "The conditions surrounding his untimely death are deeply troubling. His scooter was found abandoned, and the cause of his death remains unclear. These circumstances demand a court-monitored CBI investigation".
In separate letters to Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Home Minister Amit Shah, Badaravada alleged that the tragic event reveals "deep-rooted corruption, irregular appointments, and abuse of power within ICAR, ASRB (Agricultural Scientists Recruitment Board), and affiliated institutions".
"Ayyappan ji's death might be a consequence of institutional vendetta or administrative collapse, as the scientific and farming communities are now alleging," he added.
Ayyappan (70) was found dead in the Cauvery River near Srirangapatna, Karnataka, on Saturday. His two-wheeler was discovered on the riverbank, with local police suspecting he may have jumped into the river. His body was recovered three days after he went missing under suspicious circumstances.
Badaravada also criticised ICAR for "unlawfully" removing him from the governing body on May 5 through "a one-sided office order without conducting a serious inquiry".
"This unlawful removal reflects a dangerous trend within ICAR, silencing whistleblowers while shielding entrenched corruption," he claimed.
Ayyappan, who resided in Vishweshwara Nagar Industrial Area of Mysuru, was reported missing on May 7 when his family filed a complaint with the Vidyaranyapuram Police Station. Police noted that he often meditated at the Saibaba ashram, located on the Cauvery River banks in Srirangapatna.
The deceased scientist was the first non-crop specialist to head ICAR and was credited with playing a significant role in India's 'Blue Revolution'.
He is survived by his wife and two daughters.
