Coronavirus Lockdown: Yamuna river water turns transparent in Mathura as human, commercial activity remains suspended

Mathura: Nature activists and enthusiasts are thrilled to find that the water of river Yamuna is gradually turning transparent in the wake of the national lockdown imposed to arrest the spread of coronavirus. Rakesh Tewari, vice president, Mathur Chaturved Parishad, said after 42 years, we could see clear Yamuna waters on Yamuna Chhath’ on 30 March. The pollution control board officers, social organisations and other nature lovers have credited the lockdown for the clean waters of Yamuna.

UNBELIEVABLE BUT ITS TRUE!!

This is #Yamuna river in #Delhi with clean #water. It is important to maintain the beauty of nature when we come out of our homes after #lockdown#COVID2019 #nature #NatureHeals pic.twitter.com/UDMHBkIeju

— Ministry of Jal Shakti, DoWR, RD&GR, GoI (@DoWRRDGR_MoJS) April 4, 2020

Normally, Yamuna river gets polluted due to bathing by floating population, throwing flowers, garlands and other worship material as well as the industrial affluent, District Pollution Control Board officer Arvind Kumar said. Social activist Gopeshwar Nath Chaturvedi, who had filed a PIL in Allahabad High Court in 1998 for cleaning Yamuna, said the major game changer has been reduced discharge of industrial affluent into the river. Since factories are not discharging their affluent in Yamuna, owing to their closure during the lockout, the river water is gradually turning clean, he said.