“There is no power for change greater than a community discovering what it cares about.”
– Margaret J. Wheatley
The national capital is solely dependent on the river Yamuna for its water requirements. As stated earlier, in spite of holding just 2% of the total river basin, Delhi endures the tag of the “biggest polluter” for the water body. Despite the central government’s brandished agendas claiming to achieve the revitalization of the river in the near future, due to poor enactment of these cryptic strategies the river flows contaminated. When the river demanded the attention of all humans associated to cure its miserable condition, it was provided with the perfect paperwork possible but sorrowfully, not a satisfactory implementation.
The key exposition that could increase the probability of attaining a dirt-free river is therefore the incorporation of a decentralized approach of policy execution. Now, what is decentralization and what has it got to do with cleaning a river?
The decentralization of administration gives charge to local authorities in the execution of policies hence binding a larger public. Increasing the otherwise “restricted outreach” of the policies and spreading awareness amongst a greater number of citizens can help in mitigating the toxic quality of river water. Additionally, it makes the community aware of the alternate ways of product selection and filth management in households and industries. It also enables strict law enforcement necessary for the appliance of government policies and for barricading waste to reach the Yamuna.
When the Narendra Modi government promotes “Atma Nirbhar Bharat” advocating the construction of a self-sustained country, environmental sustainability should also be taken into account for developing an ecologically inclusive country. Post lockdown as we see a much cleaner Yamuna river, we humans need to understand that amendments in personal and community lifestyles, industrial disposal techniques, and governance are demanded the sustainment of this cleanliness. Some of the measures that can be adopted by us are hence mentioned:
What can be done individually?
At an individual level, we need to be more rational about handling the products we use, the trash we produce, and most importantly disposing of this trash cautiously. It is our responsibility to analyze the environmentally hazardous products we utilize unconsciously and should work on replacing them with better alternatives. Efforts shall be made to cut down the consumption of single-use plastics and products made of toxic materials. We should promote reusing and recycling of paper, plastic, and metal items for avoiding overexploitation of natural resources. Educating ourselves and our immediate surroundings on the conservation of water resources should be both a social and ecological commitment. Adequate segregation and dumping of the garbage produced into the green(biodegradable), blue (non-biodegradable but recyclable), and black(non-biodegradable and single-use material) dustbins is very necessary. By asserting ourselves not to dump wastes in drains or the river, we can protect it from direct pollution. We should have much sense to refuse the religious practices that pollute the water bodies. Understanding, involving, and abiding by the government policies made for rejuvenation of the river should be given foremost importance. Moreover, the education of our fellow citizens on the personal sustainable changes imbibed by us should also be taken care of. We should realize that revolutions do not succeed if not reached to the grassroots, adopting sustainable changes in our lifestyles is therefore the most important in achieving a clean river.
How should community work?
Educating the public on not contaminating the water body has been by far the most tedious task for the government. Therefore, the involvement of stakeholders, public figures, religious leaders, and public volunteers popular in the target areas is very important for spreading awareness. Environmental activists, journalists, volunteers from NGOs, and public interest groups should educate people, specifically, those living near these water bodies on proper waste segregation and disposal techniques, healthy fecal practices, and should acquaint these people with alternatives to hazardous wastes. Cutting the use of plastic bags by replacing them with paper, jute, cotton bags, or even the inclusion of the use of compostable and biodegradable plastic and silicon bags as alternatives of single-use plastics is a greener approach. Likewise, schools should conduct regular workshops for elementary students teaching them the methods of separation of dry(non-compostable) waste from the wet (compostable) waste and the distinctive use of green, blue, and black bins. Installation of such bins and abandoning hazardous wastes should be voluntarily done by residential societies, workplaces, market associations, public gathering spots, and recreational places. Furthermore, abandoning the practices that have been traditional to our religious or cultural beliefs is the most difficult yet important measure that is needed to be taken. Therefore the involvement of religious leaders who can evoke public on the need to adopt ecologically healthy alternatives of the old and not so environmentally acceptable practices for the holiness of the “mother statused” water body can become a milestone to the cleaning of the river. Public icons should endorse the installation of wastewater treatment plants in industries for cutting down the debris that falls into these drains and rivers from their factories. Sensitizing the public towards the sacred water body and educating them on the rules and regulations the Government has imposed are the most essential steps communities can adopt. If the community dedicatedly rises for combating the prevailing contamination in the river, we will see a much cleaner Yamuna in the near future.
What should industries follow?
With the most toxic wastes coming from the factories situated near the banks of these water bodies, it is most important for industrial entrepreneurs to adopt a sustainability charter/reports to mitigate the production of hazardous wastes in their factories. The industries should assess the life cycle of the products they produce, analyzing the quality and quantity of wastes generated throughout their usage, production, and disposal, they should adopt an eco-design that is friendly to the water body and other associated environmental parameters. Such sustainable designs will be welcomed by the responsible public and can create a tag of environmentally responsible manufacturers for the industry. Besides, proper regulations should be taken by these industries in disposing of the hazardous wastes produced and should ensure that the waste doesn’t reach the river.
How to improve governance?
The governance has significantly failed due to the lack of public involvement in its policymaking and execution. They should find ways to increase accessibility for the public on its projects and on committees working for river Yamuna. Most importantly, the Government needs to find satisfactory solutions to relocate the unauthorized farmlands and homes of families who have encroached the land near these streams and should work on retrieving the floodplains. Other than imposing heavy fines and imprisonment on public (mentioned in the previous article), the Government should incorporate the polluter pays principle to calculate liable penalties for the restoration of the substantial damage done to the river. Correspondingly, consistent contamination should follow the cutting of resources for the polluter. Construction of special Ghats for performing the traditional rituals without contamination the sanctity of the river should be worked on. Further, subsidies should be granted to industries, institutions, and residential societies for installing WWTPs to promote sustainable development. Other perks like land tax rebate and ITR concessions should be granted to attract more institutions for participation in such activities. The government should run sensitization campaigns for involving a larger public with itself.
With studying the Yamuna basin for more than 3 months and interpreting our research into five informative articles we have reached a conclusion that cleaning the debris is not a sustainable solution for a healthy river but barring the contaminants’ reach to the water carriers is. Whether giving river Yamuna human rights, creating new departments and fancy policies or creating stringent laws and penalties, nothing can work until the public addresses the problem and works on its alleviation. It is high time for every citizen of the national capital to understand and take action against the brewing pollution by minimizing the production of pollutants and not allowing the hazardous waste generated to reach the river at any level. As insisted again and again, River Yamuna is the only water resource lifeline of the Delhiites hence maintenance of its purity is a necessity for us hence, for the sustainment of the metropolis population sustainment of the river is essential.