Centre and Delhi Government Plan to Divert Ganga Water to Clean Yamuna

The central government and the Delhi government are developing a project to divert water from the Upper Ganga Canal (UGC) to the Yamuna in Delhi, aiming to increase the river's flow and dilute pollution, officials told The Hindu.

The proposal, estimated to cost around ₹4,500 crore, was discussed at a meeting chaired by Union Home Minister Amit Shah last week. Officials said a Detailed Project Report (DPR) is being prepared and is likely to be completed by October.

The plan envisages diverting about 500 million gallons per day (MGD) of water from the UGC, the largest canal drawing from the Ganga and flowing through western Uttar Pradesh, into the Yamuna.

Since the canal does not pass through Delhi or connect directly with the Yamuna, the project proposes a 29-km twin pipeline or canal system to carry the water. About 500 cusecs will be drawn from the Muradnagar regulator in Ghaziabad.

Officials said Uttar Pradesh would not lose water as the diverted flow would re-enter the state downstream. The additional water will join the Yamuna downstream of the Wazirabad barrage, flow through the 22-km Delhi stretch up to Okhla, and then be released into the Agra Canal for irrigation use in Uttar Pradesh.

“The DPR of the project will be completed by October, after which we will have clarity on the mode of transport and the exact cost,” an official told The Hindu.

The construction of the pipeline or canal network is expected to take around three years. Land acquisition, if required, may extend the timeline.

An earlier proposal to bring Ganga water to flush pollutants in the Yamuna was shelved last year following objections from Uttar Pradesh.

Cleaning the Yamuna was a key electoral promise of Prime Minister Narendra Modi ahead of the Delhi Assembly election, which the BJP won after 27 years. The party reiterated its focus on the river during the campaign.

The Yamuna also holds religious significance for migrants from eastern Uttar Pradesh and Bihar, many of whom observe Chhath Puja on its banks.

Experts and courts have long emphasised the need to augment the river’s flow in Delhi. In a 2015 order, the National Green Tribunal (NGT) called for measures to ensure adequate environmental flow throughout the year under its “Maily se Nirmal Yamuna” plan.

A study by the National Institute of Hydrology, Roorkee, recommended a minimum flow of 23 cubic metres per second downstream of the Hathnikund barrage. At present, the flow is about 10 cumecs, leaving a deficit of 13 cumecs.