Supreme Court Constitutes Committee for Yamuna River Cleanup

The Supreme Court of India has constituted a committee headed by the Union Home Secretary and comprising the Chief Secretaries of all States and Union Territories through which the Yamuna flows.
The committee has been directed to prepare a comprehensive plan within eight weeks for cleaning and rejuvenating the river, considered a lifeline for more than 57 million people in the national capital region.

About River Yamuna

• Yamuna River is the largest tributary of the Ganges River and one of the most important rivers of northern India. It is the longest river in India that does not directly flow into the sea.
• The Yamuna originates from the Yamunotri glacier near the Banderpoonch peaks in the Mussoorie range of the lower Himalayas in Uttarkashi district of Uttarakhand.
• The river rises at an elevation of around 6,387 metres above mean sea level. It travels about 1,376 kilometres before merging with the Ganga at the Sangam in Prayagraj.
• The Yamuna was once believed to be a tributary of the Ghaggar River, which is often associated with the Vedic Saraswati River.
• Due to tectonic shifts, the river gradually changed its course eastward and became a tributary of the Ganga system.
• In the Himalayan region, the major tributaries of the Yamuna are: Rishi Ganga, Hanuman Ganga, Tons and Giri. Among these, the Tons River is the largest tributary and contributes nearly 60% of the Yamuna’s total water flow.
• In the plains, the important tributaries include Hindon, Chambal, Sind, Betwa and Ken.
• The river flows through: Uttarakhand, Himachal Pradesh, Haryana, Delhi and Uttar Pradesh.

Sources: TH & Delhi Government