View source for Yamuna

{{Short description|River in India}}
{{other uses}}
{{distinguish|Jamuna River (Bangladesh)}}
{{Use Indian English|date=June 2016}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=May 2016}}
{{Infobox river
| name                = Yamuna
| name_other          = 
| name_etymology      = 
| image               = File:Vishram Ghat.jpg
| image_size          = 
| image_caption       = [[Vishram Ghat]], on the Yamuna at [[Mathura]] in Uttar Pradesh
| map                 = Yamunarivermap.jpg
| map_size            = 240px
| map_caption         = Map
| pushpin_map         = 
| pushpin_map_size    = 240px
| pushpin_map_caption = 
| subdivision_type1   = Country
| subdivision_name1   = India
| subdivision_type2   = State
| subdivision_name2   = [[Uttarakhand]], Uttar Pradesh, [[Haryana]], [[Delhi]]
| subdivision_type3   = 
| subdivision_name3   = 
| subdivision_type4   = 
| subdivision_name4   = 
| subdivision_type5   = Cities
| subdivision_name5   = '''[[Haryana]]''': [[Yamunanagar]]<br>
'''[[Uttar Pradesh]]''': [[Kairana]] and [[Baghpat]]<br>

'''Delhi''': New Delhi<br>
'''[[Uttar Pradesh]]''': [[Noida]], [[Mathura]], [[Vrindavan]], [[Agra]], [[Firozabad]], [[Etawah]], [[Auraiya]] and [[Prayagraj]]
| length              = {{cvt|1376|km|mi}}
| width_min           = 
| width_avg           = 
| width_max           = 
| depth_min           = 
| depth_avg           = 
| depth_max           = 
| discharge1_location= [[Prayagraj]]<ref name="JainAgarwal2007-341">{{cite book |last1=Jain |first1=Sharad K. |last2=Agarwal |first2=Pushpendra K. |last3=Singh |first3=Vijay P. |title=Hydrology and water resources of India |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=ZKs1gBhJSWIC&pg=PA341 |access-date=26 April 2011 |year=2007 |publisher=Springer |isbn=978-1-4020-5179-1 |page=341 |bibcode=2007hwri.book.....J |archive-date=23 September 2024 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20240923061108/https://books.google.com/books?id=ZKs1gBhJSWIC&pg=PA341#v=onepage&q&f=false |url-status=live }}</ref>
| discharge1_min      = 
| discharge1_avg      = {{cvt|2950|m3/s}}
| discharge1_max      = 
| source1             = [[Yamunotri]]
| source1_location    = Banderpooch peaks, [[Uttarkashi district]], [[Uttarakhand]], India
| source1_coordinates= {{coord|31|1|21|N|78|27|18|E|display=inline}}
| source1_elevation   = {{cvt|4500|m}}<ref name=GoogleMapsSource>{{Google maps|url=https://www.google.com/maps/place/31°00'36.0%22N+78°27'00.0%22E/@31.0312412,78.4529623,14z/data=!4m5!3m4!1s0x0:0x73758ef7a9f03cbc!8m2!3d31.01!4d78.45!5m1!1e4?hl=en |access-date=5 March 2023 }}</ref>
| mouth               = [[Ganges]]
| mouth_location      = [[Triveni Sangam]], [[Prayagraj]], India
| mouth_coordinates   = {{Coord|25|25|21|N|81|53|15|E|display=inline,title}}
| mouth_elevation     = {{cvt|84|m}}
| progression         = 
| river_system        = 
| basin_size          = {{cvt|366223|km2}}
| tributaries_left    = [[Hindon River|Hindon]], [[Tons River|Tons]], Hanuman Ganga, [[Sasur Khaderi]]
| tributaries_right   = Giri, Baghain, [[Sahibi River|Sabi]], [[Chambal River|Chambal]], [[Sindh River|Sindh]], [[Betwa River|Betwa]], [[Ken River|Ken]]
}}
{{Routemap
| title               = Yamuna
| title-color         = white
| title-bg            = #0099ff
| navbar              = Yamuna Map
| legend              = 
| map                 = 
~~ 
\uKBHFa~~[[Yamunotri]]
exWWSELq\ueABZgr~~[[Tons River]]
\uSTR+FEATURE@r~~[[Paonta Sahib]]
\uxWEIRg~~[[Hathni Kund Barrage]]
uSTRq\uABZgr~~[[Western Yamuna Canal]]
\uSTR+FEATURE@r~~[[Panipat]]
\uxWEIRg~~[[Wazirabad Barrage]]
\uSTR+FEATURE@r~~New Delhi
\uSBRÜCKE~~[[Old Yamuna Bridge]]
\uxWEIRg~~[[Okhla barrage|Okhla Barrage]]
\uSBRÜCKE~~[[Delhi Noida Direct Flyway]]
\uSTR+FEATURE@r~~[[Noida]]
exWWSELq\ueABZgr~~[[Somb river|Somb River]]
exWWSELq\ueABZgr~~[[Western Yamuna Canal]]
exWWSELq\ueABZgr~~[[Hindon River|Hindon]]
\uSTR+FEATURE@r~~[[Mathura]]
\uSTR+FEATURE@r~~[[Agra]]
exWWSELq\ueABZgr~~[[Chambal River|Chambal]]
\uSTR+FEATURE@r~~[[Bhind]]

exWWSELq\ueABZgr~~[[Sindh River]]
exWWSELq\ueABZgr~~[[Betwa River]]
exWWSELq\ueABZgr~~[[Ken River|Ken]]

\uSTR+FEATURE@r~~[[prayagraj]]

\uVEEf~~[[Triveni Sangam]]
\~~ ~~[[Ganges]]~~ ~~ ~~bg=#003399
}}

<!-- [[File:YamunaRiver.jpg|thumb|River Yamuna near [[Agra]]]] THIS IMAGE IS ACTUALLY by the Taj at AGRA, and we already have another image below-->
The '''Yamuna''' ({{IPA|hi|jəmʊnɑː|pron}}; {{IAST3|Yamunā}}) is the second-largest [[tributary]] river of the [[Ganges]] by discharge and the longest tributary in [[List of major rivers of India|India]]. Originating from the [[Yamunotri]] Glacier at a height of about {{cvt|4500|m}}<ref name=GoogleMapsSource/> on the southwestern slopes of [[Bandarpunch]] peaks of the [[Lower Himalayan Range|Lower Himalaya]] in Uttarakhand, it travels {{convert|1376|km|mi}} and has a [[Drainage system (geomorphology)|drainage system]] of {{convert|366223|km2|mi2}}, 40.2% of the entire [[Ganges Basin]]. It merges with the Ganges at [[Triveni Sangam]], [[Prayagraj]], which is a site of the [[Kumbh Mela]], a Hindu festival held every 12 years.

<!-- Para below covers the religious significance of river. -->
Like the Ganges, the Yamuna is highly venerated in [[Hinduism]] and worshipped as the [[Yamuna in Hinduism|goddess Yamuna]]. In Hinduism, she is believed to be the daughter of the sun god, [[Surya]], and the sister of [[Yama]], the god of death, and so she is also known as Yami. According to popular Hindu legends, bathing in Yamuna's [[sacred waters]] frees one from the torments of death.<ref name=hy>{{cite book |title=Hydrology and water resources of India—Volume 57 of Water science and technology library |last1=Jain |first1=Sharad K. |first2=Pushpendra K. |last2=Agarwal |first3=Vijay P. |last3=Singh |year=2007 |publisher=Springer |isbn=978-1-4020-5179-1 |pages=344–354 |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=ZKs1gBhJSWIC&q=Yamuna+River&pg=RA1-PA345 |access-date=3 October 2020 |archive-date=23 September 2024 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20240923061108/https://books.google.com/books?id=ZKs1gBhJSWIC&q=Yamuna+River&pg=RA1-PA345#v=snippet&q=Yamuna%20River&f=false |url-status=live }}</ref><ref name=brit>{{cite book |title=Students' Britannica India, Volumes 1-5 |last=Hoiberg |first=Dale |year=2000 |publisher=Popular Prakashan |isbn=0-85229-760-2 |pages=290–291 |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=DPP7O3nb3g0C&q=Yamuna+River&pg=PA290 |access-date=3 October 2020 |archive-date=23 September 2024 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20240923061215/https://books.google.com/books?id=DPP7O3nb3g0C&q=Yamuna+River&pg=PA290 |url-status=live }}</ref>

<!-- Para below covers the course of river. -->
The river crosses several states such as [[Haryana]], Uttar Pradesh, [[Uttarakhand]] and Delhi. It also meets several tributaries along the way, including [[Tons River|Tons]], [[Chambal River|Chambal]], its longest tributary which has its own large basin, followed by [[Sindh River|Sindh]], the [[Betwa]], and [[Ken River|Ken]]. From Uttarakhand, the river flows into the state of [[Himachal Pradesh]]. After passing [[Paonta Sahib]], Yamuna flows along the boundary of Haryana and Uttar Pradesh and after exiting Haryana it continues to flow till it merges with the river Ganges at Sangam or Prayag in Prayagraj (Uttar Pradesh). It helps create the highly fertile [[Alluvium|alluvial]] Ganges-Yamuna [[Doab]] region between itself and the Ganges in the [[Indo-Gangetic plain]].<ref name=hy/><ref name=brit/>

<!-- Para below covers the usage of river . -->
Nearly 57&nbsp;million people depend on the Yamuna's waters, and the river accounts for more than 70 percent of Delhi's water supply. It has an annual flow of 97 billion cubic metres, and nearly 4 billion cubic metres are consumed every year (of which irrigation constitutes 96%).<ref name=hy/><ref name=brit/> At the [[Hathni Kund Barrage]], its waters are diverted into two large canals: the [[Western Yamuna Canal]] flowing towards Haryana, and the [[Eastern Yamuna Canal]] flowing towards Uttar Pradesh. Beyond that point the Yamuna is joined by the [[Somb river|Somb]], a seasonal rivulet from Haryana, and by the highly polluted [[Hindon River]] near [[Noida]], by [[Najafgarh drain]] near [[Wazirabad, Delhi|Wazirabad]] and by various other drains, so that it continues only as a trickling sewage-bearing drain before joining the [[Chambal River|Chambal]] at [[Pachnada]] in the [[Etawah District]] of Uttar Pradesh.<ref name=nowater1>{{cite news |url=http://www.tribuneindia.com/2007/20071118/spectrum/main1.htm |title=And filthy flows the Yamuna |work=[[The Tribune (Chandigarh)]] |date=18 November 2007 |first1=Vibha |last1=Sharma |access-date=19 December 2017 |archive-date=18 December 2022 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20221218084938/https://www.tribuneindia.com/2007/20071118/spectrum/main1.htm |url-status=live }}</ref>

<!-- Para below covers the pollution and water quality . -->
The water quality in Upper Yamuna, as the {{convert|375|km|mi|adj=on}} long stretch of Yamuna is called from its origin at [[Yamunotri]] to [[Okhla barrage]],<ref name="okhla5">2015, [https://books.google.com/books?isbn=8123020066 INDIA 2015] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20240923061203/https://www.google.com/search?tbo=p&tbm=bks&q=isbn:8123020066 |date=23 September 2024 }}, New Media Wing.</ref> is of "reasonably good quality" until the [[Wazirabad barrage]] in Delhi. Below this, the discharge of wastewater in Delhi through 15 drains between Wazirabad barrage and Okhla barrage renders the river severely polluted. Wazirabad barrage to Okhla Barrage, {{cvt|22|km|mi}} stretch of Yamuna in Delhi, is less than 2% of Yamuna's total length but accounts for nearly 80% of the total pollution in the river.<ref name=newindianexpress-27Jul21/> Untreated wastewater and poor quality of water discharged from the wastewater treatment plants are the major reasons of Yamuna's pollution in Delhi. To address river pollution, measures have been taken by the [[Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change|Ministry of Environment and Forests]] (MoEF) under the [[Yamuna Action Plan]] (YAP) which has been implemented since 1993 by the MoEF's National River Conservation Directorate (NRCD).

==Basin==
[[File:Himalayas at dusk from Mussoorie, Uttarakhand.jpg|right|300px|thumb|Banderpoonch peak, the source of Yamuna, as seen from [[Mussoorie]]]]
[[File:Yamunotri temple and ashram.jpg|right|180px|thumb|The [[Yamunotri]] temple on the river, dedicated to Goddess Yamuna]] [[File:DoabUnitedProvincesIGI1908.jpg|right|290px|thumb|The [[Doab]], [[United Provinces of Agra and Oudh|United Provinces]], 1908]]

===Palaeochannels: Sarasvati's tributary===

The present [[Sarsuti]] river which originates in the Shivalik hills in [[Himachal]] and [[Haryana]] border and merges with [[Ghaggar-Hakra River|Ghaggar River]] near [[Pehowa]] is the [[palaeochannel]] of Yamuna.<ref name=sarsuti1>[http://cgwb.gov.in/Ground-Water/Final%20print%20version_Palaeochannel%20Expert%20Committee_15thOct2016.pdf PALAEOCHANNELS OF NORTH WEST INDIA] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20171215134925/http://cgwb.gov.in/Ground-Water/Final%20print%20version_Palaeochannel%20Expert%20Committee_15thOct2016.pdf |date=15 December 2017 }}, Central Ground Water Board, last page of prefce.</ref> Yamuna changed its course to the east due to a shift in the slope of the [[Continental crust|Earth's crust]] caused by [[plate tectonics]].<ref name=sarsuti1/>

===Sources: Banderpoonch peak and Yamunotri glacier===

The source of Yamuna lies in the [[Yamunotri]] Glacier at an elevation of {{convert|6387|m|ft}}, on the southwestern slopes of Banderpooch peaks, which lie in the [[Mussoorie]] range of the [[Lower Himalayan Range|Lower Himalayas]], north of [[Haridwar]] in [[Uttarkashi district]], Uttarakhand.<ref name=hy/> Yamunotri temple, a shrine dedicated to the goddess Yamuna, is one of the holiest shrines in [[Hinduism]], and part of the [[Chota Char Dham]] [[Yatra]] circuit. Also standing close to the temple, on its {{convert|13|km|mi|0|adj=on}} trek route that follows the right bank of the river, lies Markendeya Tirtha, where the sage [[Markandeya]] wrote the [[Markandeya Purana]].<ref name=utt>[http://uttarkashi.nic.in/aboutDistt/Temple.htm Yamunotri Temple] [[Uttarkashi district]] website. {{webarchive |url=https://web.archive.org/web/20090731232226/http://uttarkashi.nic.in/aboutDistt/Temple.htm |date=31 July 2009 }}</ref><ref>{{cite book |title=The holy Himalaya: a geographical interpretation of Garhwal – Yamuna Drainage System |last1=Nand |first1=Nitya |first2=Kamlesh |last2=Kumar |year=1989 |publisher=Daya Books |isbn=81-7035-055-7 |page=49 |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=wmNGKpcE83cC&q=Yamuna&pg=PA49 |access-date=3 October 2020 |archive-date=23 September 2024 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20240923061109/https://books.google.com/books?id=wmNGKpcE83cC&q=Yamuna&pg=PA49 |url-status=live }}</ref>

===Current channel ===

The river flows southwards for about {{convert|200|km|mi}}, through the Lower Himalayas and the [[Shivalik Hills]] Range. [[Morainic]] deposits are found along the steep Upper Yamuna, highlighted with [[geomorphic]] features such as [[interlocking spur]]s, steep rock [[Bench (geology)|benches]], gorges and [[stream terrace]]s. Large terraces formed over a long period of time can be seen in the lower course of the river, such as those near Naugoan. An important part of its early [[Water catchment area|catchment area]], totalling {{convert|2320|km2|mi2}}, lies in [[Himachal Pradesh]]. The [[Tons River|Tons]], Yamuna's largest tributary, drains a large portion of the upper catchment area and holds more water than the main stream. It rises from the Hari-ki-dun valley and merges after Kalsi near [[Dehradun]]. The drainage system of the river stretches between Giri-[[Sutlej]] catchment in Himachal and Yamuna-[[Bhilangna]] catchment in [[Garhwal division|Garhwal]], also draining the ridge of [[Shimla]]. [[Kalanag]] ({{convert|6387|m|ft|disp=sqbr}}) is the highest point of the Yamuna basin. Other tributaries in the region are the Giri, Rishi Ganga Kunta, Hanuman Ganga and Bata, which drain the upper catchment area of the Yamuna basin.<ref>{{Cite web |url=https://www.webindia123.com/himachal/land/rivers.htm |title=Rivers of Himachal Pradesh |website=Webindia123.com |access-date=3 November 2022 |archive-date=29 June 2011 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110629145422/http://www.webindia123.com/himachal/land/rivers.htm |url-status=live }}</ref>
[[File:Chandigarh river.jpg|thumb|Yamuna river between [[Saharanpur]] and Yamunanagar]]
From the upper catchment area, the river descends onto the plains of [[Doon Valley]], at [[Dak Pathar]] near Dehradun. Flowing through the [[Dakpathar Barrage]], the water is diverted into a canal for power generation. Further downstream, the Assan River joins the Yamuna at the [[Asan Barrage]], which hosts a bird sanctuary. After passing the [[Sikh]] pilgrimage town of [[Paonta Sahib]], the Yamuna reaches [[Tajewala]] in [[Yamuna Nagar district]] (named after the river) of [[Haryana]]. A dam built here in 1873 is the origin of two important canals, the Western and Eastern [[Yamuna Canal]]s, which irrigate the states of Haryana and Uttar Pradesh. The Western Yamuna Canal (WYC) crosses [[Yamuna Nagar]], [[Karnal]], [[Panipat]] and [[Sonipat]] before reaching the Haiderpur treatment plant, which contributes to Delhi's municipal water supply. The Yamuna receives wastewater from Yamuna Nagar and Panipat cities; beyond this it is replenished by seasonal streams and [[groundwater]] [[accrual]]. During the dry season, the Yamuna remains dry in many stretches between the Tajewala dam and Delhi, where it enters near the [[Palla barrage]] after traversing {{convert|224|km|mi}}.{{Citation needed|date=February 2023}}

The Yamuna defines the state borders between Himachal Pradesh and Uttarakhand, and between Haryana, Delhi and [[Uttar Pradesh]]. When the Yamuna reaches the [[Indo-Gangetic plain]], it runs almost parallel to the Ganges, the two rivers creating the Ganges-Yamuna [[Doab]] region. Spread across {{convert|69000|km2|mi2}}, one-third of the [[alluvial]] plain, the region is known for its agricultural output, particularly for the cultivation of [[basmati]] rice. The plain's agriculture supports one-third of India's population.<ref>{{cite book |title=Archaeology of Lower Ganga-Yamuna Doab (circa 1200 B.C. to 1200 A.D.) |last=Sharma |first=Deo Prakash |year=2006 |publisher=Bharatiya Kala Prakashan |isbn=81-8090-033-9 |pages=10, 214 |quote="[[Doab]] is a [[Persian language|Persian]] word, from ''Do-Ab'', literally meaning 'two rivers', or land between two rivers". }}</ref>
[[File:Indo-Gangetic Plain.jpg|right|200px|thumb|Course of Yamuna, in the [[Indo-Gangetic Plain]]]]

{| class="wikitable sortable <!-- mw-collapsible mw-collapsed" -->
|+
|-
! State
! Catchment area (km<sup>2</sup>)
! % of catchment area
|-
|[[Uttar Pradesh]] and [[Uttarakhand]]
|74,208
|21.5
|-
|[[Himachal Pradesh]]
|5,799
|1.6
|-
|[[Haryana]]
|21,265
|6.5
|-
|[[Rajasthan]]
|102,883
|29.8
|-
|[[Madhya Pradesh]]
|140,230
|40.6
|-
|Delhi
|1,485
|0.4
|}

Subsequently, the Yamuna flows through the states of Delhi, Haryana and Uttar Pradesh before merging with the [[Ganges]] at a sacred spot known as Triveni Sangam in Prayagraj. Pilgrims travel by boats to platforms erected in midstream to offer prayers. During the [[Kumbh Mela]], held every 12 years, large congregations of people immerse themselves in the sacred waters of the confluence.<ref>[https://web.archive.org/web/20071230102815/http://www.time.com/time/magazine/article/0,9171,798222,00.html At the Three Rivers] ''TIME'', 23 February 1948.</ref> The cities of [[Baghpat]], Delhi, [[Noida]], [[Mathura, Uttar Pradesh|Mathura]], [[Agra]], [[Firozabad]], [[Etawah]], [[Kalpi]], [[Hamirpur district, Uttar Pradesh|Hamirpur]], and Prayagraj lie on its banks. At Etawah, it meets it another important tributary, [[Chambal River|Chambal]], followed by a host of [[tributaries]] further down, including, Sindh, the [[Betwa]], and [[Ken River|Ken]].<ref name=brit/><ref>{{Cite web |url=http://www.rainwaterharvesting.org/crisis/River-yamuna.htm |title=State of River Yamuna |access-date=15 September 2009 |archive-date=13 April 2018 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180413044710/http://www.rainwaterharvesting.org/crisis/River-yamuna.htm |url-status=dead }}</ref>

===Important tributaries===

[[File:Yamua watershed.jpg|thumb|Yamuna River Basin ([https://mghydro.com/watersheds/shared/FC47F0.html Interactive map])]]

Yamuna's tributaries make up 70.9% of the catchment area and the river has six important tributaries:<ref name="hy" />

* [[Tons River]] is Yamuna's largest tributary<ref name=":2">{{cite book |last1=Sharad K. |first1=Jain |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=ZKs1gBhJSWIC&q=Tons+River%2C+Yamuna%27s+largest+tributary&pg=PA349 |title=Hydrology and Water Resources of India Volume 57 of Water Science and Technology Library |last2=Pushpendra K. |first2=Agarwal |last3=Vijay P. |first3=Singh |date=16 May 2007 |publisher=Springer Science & Business Media, 2007 |isbn=9781402051807 |pages=349–351 |access-date=3 October 2020 |archive-date=23 September 2024 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20240923061215/https://books.google.com/books?id=ZKs1gBhJSWIC&q=Tons+River%2C+Yamuna%27s+largest+tributary&pg=PA349#v=snippet&q=Tons%20River%2C%20Yamuna's%20largest%20tributary&f=false |url-status=live }}</ref> and rises in the {{convert|6315|m|ft|adj=mid|-high}} Bandarpoonch mountain. It meets Yamuna below Kalsi, near [[Dehradun]], Uttarakhand.<ref name=":2" />
* [[Hindon River]] originates from Upper [[Siwalik Hills|Shivalik]], in the [[Lower Himalayan Range]]. It is a rain fed river and has a [[drainage basin|catchment area]] of {{convert|7083|km2|mi2}} and traverses {{convert|400|km|mi}}.<ref name=":2" />
* [[Chambal River]], also known as Charmanvati in ancient texts, flows through [[Rajasthan]] and Madhya Pradesh and traverses a total distance of {{convert|960|km|mi}} from its source in the [[Vindhya Range]], near [[Mhow]]. It has a drainage basin of {{convert|143219|km2|mi2}} and it supports hydro-power generation at [[Gandhi Sagar dam]], [[Rana Pratap Sagar dam]] and Jawahar Sagar dam. The Chambal river merges with the Yamuna at Sahon village.<ref name=":2" />
* Kali River, rises in the Doon Valley and merges with the Hindon River.<ref name="hy" />
* [[Ken River]], flows through [[Madhya Pradesh]] and Uttar Pradesh. It originates near Ahirgawan village in [[Jabalpur district]] and travels a distance of {{convert|427|km|mi}} before merging with the Yamuna at Chilla village, near [[Fatehpur, Fatehpur|Fatehpur]] in Uttar Pradesh. It has an overall [[drainage basin]] of {{convert|28058|km2|mi2}}.<ref name=":3">{{Cite book |last1=Rai |first1=Raveendra Kumar |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=wNivbEPTAfMC&dq=ken+river&pg=PA115 |title=The Yamuna River Basin: Water Resources and Environment |last2=Upadhyay |first2=Alka |last3=Ojha |first3=C. Shekhar P. |last4=Singh |first4=Vijay P. |date=25 November 2011 |publisher=Springer Science |isbn=978-94-007-2001-5 |pages=114–115 |language=en |access-date=25 July 2024 |archive-date=23 September 2024 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20240923061109/https://books.google.com/books?id=wNivbEPTAfMC&dq=ken+river&pg=PA115#v=onepage&q=ken%20river&f=false |url-status=live }}</ref>
* [[Betwa River]] originates in Bhopal district, in Madhya Pradesh. Its confluence with the Yamuna is in Hamirpur district, Uttar Pradesh. It has a catchment area of {{cvt|46,580|km2|sqmi}}.<ref name=":3" />

==Background ==
[[File:Krishna carried over river yamuna.jpg|right|250px|thumb|[[Vasudeva|Vasudev]] carrying baby Lord [[Krishna]] across the Yamuna, an important legend of [[Bhagavata Purana]], mid-18th century]]
[[File:Taj Mahal-10.jpg|250px|thumb|right|The Yamuna beside the [[Taj Mahal]]]]

===Etymology===

The name ''Yamuna'' seems to be derived from the [[Sanskrit]] word "yama", meaning 'twin', and it may have been applied to the river because it runs parallel to the Ganges.<ref name=ved1/>

===History===
{{anchor|Ancient literature and history}}

The earliest mention of Yamuna is found at many places in the [[Rig Veda]] (c. 1500–1000 BCE), which was composed during the [[Vedic period]] {{circa|1700–1100}}&nbsp;BCE, and also in the later [[Atharvaveda]], and the [[Brahmana]]s including [[Aitareya Brahmana]] and [[Shatapatha Brahmana]].<ref name=ved1>{{cite book |title=Vedic Index of Names and Subjects (V-208-1333-2) |page=186 |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=U5GaKHfNzScC&q=Yamuna+River&pg=PA186 |isbn=9788120813335 |last1=MacDonell |first1=Arthur Anthony |last2=Keith |first2=Arthur Berriedale |year=1995 |publisher=Motilal Banarsidass Publishers |access-date=3 October 2020 |archive-date=23 September 2024 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20240923061109/https://books.google.com/books?id=U5GaKHfNzScC&q=Yamuna+River&pg=PA186#v=snippet&q=Yamuna%20River&f=false |url-status=live }}</ref> In the [[Rigveda]], the story of the Yamuna describes her "excessive love" for her twin, [[Yama]], who in turn asks her to find a suitable match for herself, which she does in [[Krishna]].<ref>{{cite book |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=oAHhdczi9CcC&q=story+of+the+Yamuna+describes+her+%22excessive+love%22+for+her+twin%2C+Yama%2C&pg=PA18 |title=Troubled Waters: Religion, Ethics, and the Global Water Crisis |last=Gary |first=Chamberlain |publisher=Rowman & Littlefield, 2008 |page=18 |isbn=9780742552456 |year=2008 |access-date=3 October 2020 |archive-date=23 September 2024 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20240923061610/https://books.google.com/books?id=oAHhdczi9CcC&q=story+of+the+Yamuna+describes+her+%22excessive+love%22+for+her+twin%2C+Yama%2C&pg=PA18#v=snippet&q=story%20of%20the%20Yamuna%20describes%20her%20%22excessive%20love%22%20for%20her%20twin%2C%20Yama%2C&f=false |url-status=live }}</ref>

Yamuna is mentioned as [[Iomanes]] ([[Ioames]]) in the surveys of [[Seleucus I Nicator]], an officer of [[Alexander the Great]] and one of the [[Diadochi]], who visited India in 305&nbsp;BCE. Greek traveller and geographer [[Megasthenes]] visited India sometime before 288&nbsp;BCE (the date of [[Chandragupta Maurya|Chandragupta]]'s death) and mentioned the river in his ''[[Indica (Megasthenes)|Indica]]'', where he described the region around it as the land of Surasena.<ref>{{cite book |title=Megasthenes and Indian Religion- Volume 11 of History and Culture Series |last=Dahlaquist |first=Allan |year=1996 |publisher=[[Motilal Banarsidass]] Publ. |isbn=81-208-1323-5 |page=386 |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=xp35-8gTRDkC&q=Yamuna&pg=PA130 |access-date=3 October 2020 |archive-date=23 September 2024 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20240923061711/https://books.google.com/books?id=xp35-8gTRDkC&q=Yamuna&pg=PA130#v=snippet&q=Yamuna&f=false |url-status=live }}</ref> In ''[[Mahabharata]]'', the [[Pandava]] capital of [[Indraprastha]] was situated on the banks of Yamuna, considered to be the site of modern Delhi.{{Citation needed|date=February 2023}}

Geological evidence indicates that in the distant past the Yamuna was a tributary of the [[Ghaggar River]] (identified by some as the [[Vedic Sarasvati River]]). It later changed its course eastward, becoming a tributary of the Ganges. While some have argued that this was due to a [[tectonic]] event, and may have led to the Sarasvati River drying up, the end of many [[Harappan civilisation]] settlements, and creation of the [[Thar Desert]],<ref>{{cite book |title=Encyclopedia of Indian Archaeology |last=Ghosh |first=A. |year=1991 |publisher=BRILL |isbn=90-04-09264-1 |page=214 |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=Wba-EZhZcfgC&q=yamuna+ghaggar+tributary&pg=PA214 }}</ref><ref>{{cite book |title=In Search of the Cradle of Civilization |last1=Feuerstein |first1=Georg |first2=Subhash |last2=Kak |first3=David |last3=Frawley |year=2001 |publisher=Quest Books |isbn=0-8356-0741-0 |page=89 |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=Ermk_FmwcS4C&q=Yamuna&pg=PA89 |access-date=3 October 2020 |archive-date=15 December 2022 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20221215172624/https://books.google.com/books?id=Ermk_FmwcS4C&q=Yamuna&pg=PA89 |url-status=live }}</ref><ref>{{cite book |title=Gods, Sages and Kings: Vedic Secrets of Ancient Civilization |last=Frawley |first=David |author-link=David Frawley |year=2000 |publisher=Lotus Press |isbn=0-910261-37-7 |page=95 |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=DM58BhuR2KwC&q=Yamuna&pg=PA108 }}</ref> recent geological research suggests that the diversion of the Yamuna to the Ganges may have occurred during the [[Pleistocene]], and thus could not be connected to the decline of the Harappan civilisation in the region.<ref>Clift et al. 2012. "U-Pb zircon dating evidence for a Pleistocene Sarasvati River and capture of the Yamuna River." Geology, v. 40. [http://geology.gsapubs.org/content/early/2012/01/23/G32840.1.abstract] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130602054859/http://geology.gsapubs.org/content/early/2012/01/23/G32840.1.abstract|date=2 June 2013}}</ref>

Most of the great empires which ruled over a majority of India were based in the highly fertile Ganges–Yamuna basin, including the [[Magadha (Mahajanapada)|Magadha]] ({{circa|600&nbsp;BCE}}), [[Maurya Empire]] (321–185&nbsp;BCE), [[Shunga Empire]] (185–73&nbsp;BCE), [[Kushan Empire]] (1st–3rd centuries&nbsp;CE), and [[Gupta Empire]] (280–550&nbsp;CE), and many had their capitals here, in cities like [[Pataliputra]] or [[Mathura]]. These rivers were revered throughout these kingdoms that flourished on their banks; since the period of [[Chandragupta II]] ({{abbr|r.|reigned}}&nbsp;375–415&nbsp;CE), statues both the Ganges and Yamuna became common throughout the Gupta Empire. Further to the South, images of the Ganges and Yamuna are found amidst shrines of the Chalukyas, [[Rashtrakutas]] (753–982), and on their royal seals; prior to them, the [[Chola Empire]] also added the river into their architectural motifs. The Three River Goddess shrine, next to the [[Kailasa Temple, Ellora|Kailash rock-cut Temple]] at [[Ellora Caves|Ellora]], shows the Ganges flanked by the Yamuna and Saraswati.<ref>{{cite book |title=Lives of Indian images |last=Davis |first=Richard H. |year=1999 |publisher=Princeton University Press |isbn=0-691-00520-6 |pages=74–76 |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=5OGFrDcLbogC&q=Yamuna+River&pg=PA75 |access-date=3 October 2020 |archive-date=23 September 2024 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20240923061611/https://books.google.com/books?id=5OGFrDcLbogC&q=Yamuna+River&pg=PA75#v=snippet&q=Yamuna%20River&f=false |url-status=live }}</ref>

==Use of water ==

===1994 water sharing agreement ===

The stretch of the river from its origin at [[Yamunotri]] to [[Okhla barrage]] in Delhi is called "Upper Yamuna". A Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) was signed amongst the five basin states (Himachal Pradesh, Uttar Pradesh, Uttarakhand, Haryana, Rajasthan, and Delhi) on 12&nbsp;May 1994 for sharing of its waters. This led to the formation of the Upper Yamuna River Board under India's [[Ministry of Water Resources, River Development and Ganga Rejuvenation|Ministry of Water Resources]], whose primary functions are: regulation of the available flows amongst the beneficiary states and monitoring the return flows; monitoring conservation and upgrading the quality of surface and groundwater; maintaining hydro-meteorological data for the basin; overviewing plans for watershed management; and monitoring and reviewing the progress of all projects up to and including Okhla barrage.<ref>[http://uyrb.nic.in/ Upper Yamuna River Board] {{Webarchive |url=https://web.archive.org/web/20100117191330/http://uyrb.nic.in/ |date=17 January 2010 }} Official website.</ref>

Flood forecasting systems are established at Poanta Sahib, where Tons, Pawar and Giri tributaries meet. The river take 60&nbsp;hours to travel from Tajewala to Delhi, thus allowing a two-day advance flood warning period.<ref name=hy/><ref>{{cite book |title=India's Water Wealth – Flood Forecasting system of Yamuna |last=Rao |first=K.L. |year=1979 |publisher=Orient Blackswan |isbn=81-250-0704-0 |page=163 |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=DZNrXuA2y3MC&q=Yamuna&pg=PA163 |access-date=3 October 2020 |archive-date=23 September 2024 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20240923061612/https://books.google.com/books?id=DZNrXuA2y3MC&q=Yamuna&pg=PA163#v=snippet&q=Yamuna&f=false |url-status=live }}</ref><ref>{{cite book |title=Himalayan rivers, lakes, and glaciers |last=Negi |first=Sharad Singh |year=1991 |publisher=Indus Publishing |isbn=81-85182-61-2 |pages=141–142 |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=5YtUShKY8zcC&q=Yamuna&pg=PA142 |access-date=3 October 2020 |archive-date=15 December 2022 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20221215172618/https://books.google.com/books?id=5YtUShKY8zcC&q=Yamuna&pg=PA142 |url-status=live }}</ref> The Central Water Commission started flood-forecasting services in 1958 with its first forecasting station on Yamuna at Delhi Railway Bridge.<ref>[https://web.archive.org/web/20100824191017/http://mowr.gov.in/searchdetail.asp?lid=357&skey=yamuna&langid=1 Flood Forecasting Network in India] [[Ministry of Water Resources, River Development and Ganga Rejuvenation|Ministry of Water Resources]] website.</ref>

===Barrages===
{{anchor | Dam | Dams | Barrage | Barrages }}
{{see also | Indus_River#Barrages,_bridges,_levees_and_dams | l1 = Dams on Indus | Jhelum_River#Dams | l2= Dams on Jhelum | Chenab_River#Dams | l3= Dams on Chenab | Ravi_River#Dams | l4= Dams on Ravi | Beas_River#Dams | l5= Dams on Beas| Sutlej_River#Dams | l6= Dams on Sutlej}}

Yamuna has the following dams and [[Barrage (dam)|barrages]] (eight including old replaced barrages, nine including a new proposed barrage), from north-west to southeast:<ref name=all1>Bharati Chaturvedi, 2010, [https://books.google.com/books?isbn=0670084832 Finding Delhi: Loss and Renewal in the Megacity] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20240923061613/https://www.google.com/search?tbo=p&tbm=bks&q=isbn:0670084832 |date=23 September 2024 }}</ref><ref name=rg1>{{Cite web |url=http://www.rgplan.org/articles/indraprastha/1-15_march2013_and_16-31_march2013_indraprastha.pdf |title=Regional plan |access-date=19 December 2017 |archive-date=11 September 2016 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160911123840/http://rgplan.org/articles/indraprastha/1-15_march2013_and_16-31_march2013_indraprastha.pdf |url-status=live }}</ref><ref name=bar1>Bharati Chaturvedi, 2010, [https://books.google.com/books?isbn=0670084832 Finding Delhi: Loss and Renewal in the Megacity] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20240923061613/https://www.google.com/search?tbo=p&tbm=bks&q=isbn:0670084832 |date=23 September 2024 }}, Page 78.</ref><ref name=ahmad1>ML Ahmed, Analysis of Discharge and Gauge-Level Data at Old Railway Bridge, Int'l Conference on Artificial Intelligence, Energy and Manufacturing Engineering (ICAEME’2014), 9–10 June 2014, Kuala Lumpur (Malaysia).</ref>

* Under-construction
** [[Lakhwar dam]] Hydroelectric Power Project, includes under-construction ''Lakhwar Dam and Power Station'', ''Vyasi Dam'', ''Hathiari Power Station'' and ''Katapathar Barrage'', near the [[Lakhwar]] town [[Dehradun district]] of [[Uttarakhand]] for the purpose of irrigation of 40,000 hectare land and total 927 MW [[hydroelectric]] power generation.

*** [[Lakhwar dam|Vyasi Dam]], 5&nbsp;km downstream along with 120 MW "Hathiari Power Station" further 0.5&nbsp;km downstream.<ref name=kat1>1986, [https://books.google.com/books?id=5NwlAQAAMAAJ Confluence], Issues 8-16, Page 14.</ref>

*** [[Lakhwar dam|Katapathar Barrage]], further 2.75&nbsp;km downstream to supply the water to stakeholder states.<ref name=kat3>1990 [https://books.google.com/books?id=etBXAAAAMAAJ Records of the Geological Survey of India].</ref><ref name=kat2>{{cite web | url=http://www.uttarakhandjalvidyut.com/lakhwar.php | title=Lakhwar | publisher=UJVN Limited | access-date=12 May 2014 | archive-date=13 May 2014 | archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140513030215/http://www.uttarakhandjalvidyut.com/lakhwar.php | url-status=dead }}</ref>

** [[Kishau Dam]], under-construction on Tons river tributary of Yamuna with 2028 expected completion.<ref>{{cite web | url=https://www.power-technology.com/data-insights/power-plant-profile-kishau-india/ | title= Power plant profile: Kishau, India| publisher=power-technology.com| access-date=19 May 2025}}</ref>

** [[Giri River#Dams|Reuka Ji Dam]] Hydroelectricity Power Project, 40 MW, INR 6,947 crore project of which 90% is funded by the Central Government, is an under-construction 148-metre-high gravity dam with 24 km lake holding 498 million cubic metres of water. It was expedited The 148-metre-high dam will create a reservoir spanning 24 km and store 498 million cubic metres of water. Haryana, Himachal Pradesh, Uttar Pradesh, Uttarakhand, Rajasthan, and Delhi are the stakeholder states. After much delays, it was expedited in 2021 by Prime Minister Narendra Modi with expected completion date of 2030.<ref>[https://www.tribuneindia.com/news/himachal/renuka-ji-dam-project-back-on-track-after-years-of-delays/ Renuka Ji Dam project back on track after years of delays], The Tribune, 16 Dec 2024.</ref>

* Existing

** [[Dakpathar Barrage]] in Uttarakhand, managed by the Uttarakhand government.

** [[Hathni Kund Barrage]] in Haryana, {{cvt|172|km}} from the source of Yamuna, built in 1999 and managed by Haryana government.<ref name=taje1>{{cite web |last1=Tak |first1=Prakash C. |first2=Jagdish P. |last2=Sati |first3=Anjum N. |last3=Rizvi |title=Status of waterbirds at Hathnikund Barrage wetland, Yamunanagar District, Haryana, India |date=April 2010 |volume=2 |issue=4 |pages=841 |url=http://threatenedtaxa.org/ZooPrintJournal/2010/April/o220026iv10841-844.pdf |access-date=10 July 2011 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120317104520/http://threatenedtaxa.org/ZooPrintJournal/2010/April/o220026iv10841-844.pdf |archive-date=17 March 2012 }}</ref><ref name="Haberman2006">{{cite book |last=Haberman |first=David L. |title=River of love in an age of pollution: the Yamuna River of northern India |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=63uDsPPr48gC&pg=PA78 |access-date=2 June 2011 |year=2006 |publisher=University of California Press |isbn=978-0-520-24789-5 |page=78 }}</ref>
*** [[Tajewala Barrage]] was built in 1873 and replaced by the Hathni Kund.<ref name=taje1/><ref name="Haberman2006"/>

** [[Wazirabad barrage]] in north Delhi, {{cvt|244|km}} from Hathni Kund barrage, managed by the Delhi government.<ref name=who1>[http://www.thehindu.com/news/national/other-states/too-many-cooks-spoil-the-broth/article8406990.ece Too many cooks spoil the broth ] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180702181417/https://www.thehindu.com/news/national/other-states/too-many-cooks-spoil-the-broth/article8406990.ece |date=2 July 2018 }}, [[The Hindu]], 29 March 2016.</ref>
*** "New Wazirabad barrage", proposed in 2013, to be built {{cvt|8|km|}} north of the Wazirabad barrage.

** [[ITO barrage]] (Indraparstha barrage) in central Delhi, managed by the Haryana govt.<ref name=who1/>

** [[Okhla barrage]] is {{cvt|22|km|}} from Wazirabad to south Delhi, managed by the Uttar Pradesh (UP) government.<ref name=who1/>
*** [[New Okhla Barrage]], a new barrage, managed by the UP government.<ref name=who1/>
*** [[Palla barrage]] downstream on "Delhi-Faridabad canal" in Haryana, managed by the Haryana government.

** [[Gokul barrage]] (a.k.a. Mathura barrage) is at [[Gokul]] in Uttar Pradesh, managed by the UP government.

===Irrigation===
[[File:Agra_canal_headworks1871a.jpg|right|thumb|200x200px|[[Agra Canal]] headworks at [[Okhla]] barrage, Delhi, 1871]]

Use of the Yamuna's waters for irrigation in the [[Indo-Gangetic Plain]]s is enhanced by its many canals, some dating to the 14th century [[Tughlaq dynasty]], which built the ''Nahr-i-Bahisht'' (Paradise) parallel to the river. The ''Nahr-i-Bahisht'' was restored and extended by the [[Mughals]] in the first half of the 17th century, by engineer Ali Mardan Khan, starting from Benawas where the river enters the plains and terminating near the Mughal capital of [[Shahjahanabad]], the present city of Delhi.<ref>{{cite book |title=The History of cartography, Volume 2, Part 1 |last=Woodward |first=David |author2=John Brian Harley |year=1987 |publisher=Oxford University Press US |isbn=0-226-31635-1 |page=438 |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=ocoV2iI4vcoC&q=Yamuna&pg=RA2-PA311 |access-date=3 October 2020 |archive-date=23 September 2024 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20240923061614/https://books.google.com/books?id=ocoV2iI4vcoC&q=Yamuna&pg=RA2-PA311 |url-status=live }}</ref>

====Eastern Yamuna Canal====
As the Yamuna enters the Northern Plains near [[Dakpathar]] at an elevation of {{convert|790|m|ft}}, the Eastern Yamuna Canal commences at the [[Dakpathar Barrage]] and pauses at the [[Asan Barrage|Asan]] and [[Hathnikund Barrage]]s before continuing south.<ref name=taje1/><ref name="Haberman2006"/>

====Western Yamuna Canal====
{{Main|Western Yamuna Canal}}

The Western Yamuna Canal (WYC) was built in 1335 CE by [[Firuz Shah Tughlaq]]. Excessive silting caused it to stop flowing {{circa|1750}}, when the [[British Raj]] undertook a three-year renovation in 1817 by [[Bengal Engineer Group]]. The [[Tajewala Barrage]] dam was built in 1832–33{{clarify timeframe|date=November 2018|stated above this was built in 1873}} to regulate the flow of water, and was replaced by the modern [[Hathni Kund Barrage]] in 1999.<ref name="WYC"/>

The main canal is {{convert|86|km|mi}} long.<ref name="WYC"/> When including its branches and many major and minor irrigation channels, it has a total length of {{cvt|325|km}}<ref name="IW">{{Cite web |url=http://www.indiawaterportal.org/sites/indiawaterportal.org/files/On%20The%20Brink_Water%20Governance_Yamuna%20River%20Basin_Haryana_PEACE_SPWD_2010.pdf |title=India Water Portal |access-date=9 April 2016 |archive-date=6 March 2016 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160306070810/http://www.indiawaterportal.org/sites/indiawaterportal.org/files/On%20The%20Brink_Water%20Governance_Yamuna%20River%20Basin_Haryana_PEACE_SPWD_2010.pdf |url-status=dead }}</ref> The WYC begins at the Hathni Kund Barrage about {{cvt|38|km|}} from Dakpathar and south of [[Doon Valley]]. The canals irrigate vast tracts of land in the region in [[Ambala district|Ambala]], [[Karnal district|Karnal]], [[Sonipat district|Sonipat]], [[Rohtak district|Rohtak]], [[Jind district|Jind]], [[Hisar district|Hisar]] and [[Bhiwani district]]s.<ref name="WYC">{{Cite web |url=http://india-wris.nrsc.gov.in/wrpinfo/index.php?title=Western_Yamuna_Canal_Major_Irrigation_Project_JI01653 |title=Western yaumna Canal Project |access-date=9 April 2016 |archive-date=13 November 2017 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20171113165614/http://india-wris.nrsc.gov.in/wrpinfo/index.php?title=Western_Yamuna_Canal_Major_Irrigation_Project_JI01653 |url-status=dead }}</ref>

The major branch canals are:

* [[Agra Canal]], built in 1874, which starts from the [[Okhla]] barrage beyond the Nizamuddin bridge, joining the Banganga river about {{convert|32|km|mi}} below [[Agra]]. During the dry summer season, the stretch above Agra resembles a minor stream.<ref name="brit" />
* [[Munak canal]], built in 1819<ref name="PC">{{Cite web |url=http://planningcommission.nic.in/reports/sereport/ser/wjc/wjc_ch1.pdf |title=Planning Commission of India: Western Yaumna Canal |access-date=9 April 2016 |archive-date=11 February 2017 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170211023411/http://planningcommission.nic.in/reports/sereport/ser/wjc/wjc_ch1.pdf |url-status=dead }}</ref> and renovated in 2008,<ref name="hindustantimes-09Apr16"/> originates at Munak in [[Karnal district]]<ref name="Jind"/> and extends 22&nbsp;km<ref name="hindustantimes-09Apr16">{{cite news |url=http://www.hindustantimes.com/delhi/haryana-restores-complete-water-supply-to-delhi-through-munak-canal/story-Io8jYPhySojgNKocdcAjxJ.html |work=[[Hindustan Times]] |title=Munak water supply fully restored to Delhi |date=9 April 2016 |first1=Rajesh |last1=Moudgil |access-date=9 April 2016 |archive-date=9 April 2016 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160409170413/http://www.hindustantimes.com/delhi/haryana-restores-complete-water-supply-to-delhi-through-munak-canal/story-Io8jYPhySojgNKocdcAjxJ.html |url-status=live }}</ref> to Delhi, carrying {{cvt|700|cuft/s|order=flip}} of water.<ref name="WYC"/><ref name="DB">{{Cite web |url=http://www.delhibird.com/Checklists/West%20Yamuna%20Canal.html |title=Delhibird.com |access-date=9 April 2016 |archive-date=23 September 2024 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20240923061614/http://www.delhibird.com/Checklists/West%20Yamuna%20Canal.html |url-status=live }}</ref>
** Delhi Branch
*** Bhalaut Branch, originating at Khubru village,<ref name="IW"/> flows through [[Jhajjar district]].<ref name="WYC"/><ref name="DB"/>
**** Jhajjar Branch, flows through Jhajjar district.<ref name="WYC"/><ref name="DB"/>
* Sirsa Branch, the largest branch of the WYC, constructed in 1889–1895.<ref name="WYC"/> It originates at [[Indri]] and meanders through [[Jind district]], [[Fatehabad district]] and [[Sirsa district]].<ref name="WYC"/><ref name="DB"/>
** Jind Branch<ref name="WYC"/><ref name="DB"/>
*** Bhiwani Branch, which meanders through [[Bhiwani district]] and passes [[Bidhwan]].<ref name="WYC"/><ref name="DB"/>
** Barwala Branch
* Hansi Branch, built in 1825<ref name="PC"/> and remodelled in 1959.<ref name="PC"/> It originates at [[Munak, India|Munak]]<ref name="Jind">{{Cite web |url=http://cgwb.gov.in/district_profile/haryana/jind.pdf |title=Jind district profile |access-date=9 April 2016 |archive-date=19 April 2016 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160419223303/http://cgwb.gov.in/district_profile/haryana/jind.pdf |url-status=live }}</ref> and meanders through [[Hansi]] tehsil of [[Hisar district]].<ref name="WYC"/><ref name="DB"/>
** Butana Branch<ref name="WYC"/><ref name="DB"/>
*** Sunder Branch, which passes [[Kanwari]] in Hisar district.
* Rohtak Branch<ref name="WYC"/><ref name="DB"/>

===Sutlej–Yamuna Link Canal ===
{{main|Sutlej Yamuna link canal}}

A proposed heavy freight canal, the Sutlej–Yamuna Link (SYL), is being built westwards from near Yamuna's headwaters through the [[Punjab region]] near an ancient caravan route and highlands pass to the navigable parts of the [[Sutlej]]–[[Indus]] [[Drainage basin|watershed]]. This will connect the [[Ganges]], which flows to the east coast of the subcontinent, with points west (via Pakistan). When completed, the SYL will allow shipping from India's east coast to the west coast and the [[Arabian Sea]], shortening important commercial links for north-central India's large population. The canal starts near Delhi, and is designed to transfer Haryana's share of {{cvt|4.3|km3|acre.ft|lk = in}} from the [[Indus]] Basin.{{Citation needed|date=February 2023}}

===National Waterway ===
{{Anchor|National Waterway NW110}}

Yamuna is one of the [[List of National Waterways in India|National Waterways of India]], designated as [[List of National Waterways in India|NW110]] in Haryana, Delhi and Uttar Pradesh. Some of its sections are being developed for navigation:<ref name="timesofindia-06Apr16"/><ref name="hindustantimes-01Feb17"/>

* Delhi–Faridabad ([[Wazirabad barrage]] to [[Palla barrage]], via [[ITO barrage]]), is being developed for passenger and cargo ferry service.<ref name="timesofindia-06Apr16">{{cite news |url=https://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/city/delhi/Yamuna-water-link-may-get-govt-nod/articleshow/51705467.cms |title=Yamuna water link may get govt nod |work=[[Times of India]] |date=6 April 2016 |access-date=19 December 2017 |archive-date=23 September 2024 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20240923062220/https://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/city/delhi/Yamuna-water-link-may-get-govt-nod/articleshow/51705467.cms |url-status=live }}</ref>
* Delhi–Agra ([[Okhla barrage]] to [[Agra Canal]]), is planned for steamer service by the end of June 2017 with the help of the Netherlands.<ref name="hindustantimes-01Feb17">{{cite news |url=http://www.hindustantimes.com/delhi-news/steamer-service-to-revive-navigation-in-agra-canal-after-143-years/story-aVlo6EzGLS2ednEyg6I50M.html |title=Steamer service to revive navigation in Agra Canal after 143 years |work=[[Hindustan Times]] |date=1 February 2017 |first1=Parvez |last1=Sultan |access-date=19 December 2017 |archive-date=22 December 2017 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20171222051104/http://www.hindustantimes.com/delhi-news/steamer-service-to-revive-navigation-in-agra-canal-after-143-years/story-aVlo6EzGLS2ednEyg6I50M.html |url-status=live }}</ref>{{update inline|date=November 2018}}

== Religious significance ==
[[File:Yamuna, personificazione del fiume sacro yamuna, IX sec.JPG|right|thumb|The goddess Yamuna]]

===Purifying waters ===
{{main|Yamuna in Hinduism}}

Like the Ganges, the Yamuna River is highly venerated in Hinduism in the form of a river and as the goddess Yamuna. The Yamuna is considered a river of heaven. The [[Rigveda|Rig Veda]] includes the Yamuna River as one of the seven sacred rivers, along with the Ganges.<ref name=":0">{{Cite book |last=Eck |first=Diana L. |title=India : a sacred geography |publisher=Harmony Books |year=2012 |isbn= |edition= |location=New York |oclc= }}</ref> According to Hindu mythology, the River was brought to Earth by the ascetic practice of the [[Saptarishi|Seven Sages]] where she first descended on Mount Kalinda. Therefore, Yamuna is also known as Kalindi.<ref name=":0" />

The [[Padma Purana]] describes Yamuna's purifying properties and states that her waters cleanse the mind from sin. It also mentions that bathing in her sacred waters frees one from the torments of death.<ref name=":1">{{Cite book |last=Haberman |first=David L. |title=River of love in an age of pollution : the Yamuna River of northern India |publisher=University of California Press |year=2006 |location=Berkeley, Calif. }}</ref> Art from the [[Gupta Empire|Gupta period]] depict Yamuna and [[Ganga (goddess)|Ganga]] on the entrances and doorjambs of temples and sacred places. Upon passing through these doors, visitors were symbolically purified by these rivers.<ref>{{Cite book |last=Dallapiccola |first=Anna L. |title=Indian art in detail |publisher=Harvard University Press |year=2007 |location= }}</ref>

Some religious figures (notably pilgrim priests of [[Mathura]] and [[Vrindavan]]) do not regard the physical pollution of the Yamuna to have any effect on the river's spiritual purity. The [[Braj]] region is where the worship of the Yamuna and its pollution is most pronounced. However, more and more Hindus no longer ritually bathe in the Yamuna, drink its water, or use its water for worship. In Vrindavan's holy shrines, [[bottled water]] is used instead.<ref name=":02">{{Cite book |last1=Kumar |first1=Bidisha |title=Brill's Encyclopedia of Hinduism Online |last2=James |first2=George |publisher=Brill |year=2018 |editor-last=Jacobsen |editor-first=Knut A. |chapter=Yamuna |editor-last2=Basu |editor-first2=Helene |editor-last3=Malinar |editor-first3=Angelika |editor-last4=Narayanan |editor-first4=Vasudha }}</ref>

=== Goddess personified ===
In her human form, Yamuna is the daughter of [[Surya]], the sun god, and his wife [[Saranyu]]. She is the twin sister of [[Yama (Hinduism)|Yama]], the god of death, and is also known as Yami.<ref>''Bhagavata Purana'' 8.13.9</ref> The [[Agni Purana]] describes Yamuna as having a dark complexion, mounted on a turtle, and holding a pot in her hand.<ref name=":1" />

=== Devotion ===
Yamuna, as a river and goddess, has a close association with [[Krishna]]. The [[Puranas]] narrate many stories about Krishna in relation to the river and its surroundings. One such story is of ''Kaliya Daman'', the subduing of [[Kaliya]], a ''[[Naga (mythology)|Nāga]]'' which had inhabited the river and terrorised the people of [[Braja]].<ref>{{cite book |title=Classical Hindu mythology: a reader in the Sanskrit Purānas |last=Dimmitt |first=Cornelia |year=1978 |publisher=Temple University Press |isbn=0-87722-122-7 |page=329 |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=TmFOX7q2IqgC&q=Yamuna+River&pg=PA329 |access-date=3 October 2020 |archive-date=15 December 2022 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20221215172613/https://books.google.com/books?id=TmFOX7q2IqgC&q=Yamuna+River&pg=PA329 |url-status=live }}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |url=http://www.celextel.org/stotrasother/yamunashtakam.html |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20100625023157/http://www.celextel.org/stotrasother/yamunashtakam.html |url-status=dead |title=Yamunashtakam Text and Translation |archive-date=25 June 2010 }}</ref> Due to Krishna's connection with the River and the Braja region, the Yamuna River is a center of pilgrimage for his devotees. In the [[Pushtimarg|Pushti Marga]], founded by Vallabhacharya and in which Krishna is the main deity, Yamuna is worshipped as a goddess.<ref name=":1" />

The ''Yamunashtakam'' is a 16th-century [[Sanskrit]] hymn composed by [[Vallabhacharya]] which describes the story of Yamuna's descent to meet her beloved Krishna and to purify the world. The hymn also praises her for being the source of all spiritual abilities. And while the Ganges is considered an epitome of asceticism and higher knowledge and can grant ''[[Moksha]]'' or [[liberty|liberation]], it is Yamuna, who, being a holder of infinite love and compassion, can grant freedom, even from death, the realm of her elder brother. Vallabhacharya writes that she rushes down the Kalinda Mountain, and describes her as the daughter of Kalinda, giving her the name ''Kalindi'', the backdrop of Krishna Leela. The text also talks about her water being the colour of Krishna, which is dark (Shyam).<ref>{{cite book |last=Shiva |first=Vandana |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=iQzwwzBYGDkC&q=Yamuna&pg=PA172 |title=Earth democracy: justice, sustainability and peace-G – Reference, Information and Interdisciplinary Subjects Series |publisher=Zed Books |year=2006 |isbn=1-84277-777-7 |pages=172–173 |author-link=Vandana Shiva |access-date=3 October 2020 |archive-date=23 September 2024 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20240923062117/https://books.google.com/books?id=iQzwwzBYGDkC&q=Yamuna&pg=PA172#v=snippet&q=Yamuna&f=false |url-status=live }}</ref><ref>{{cite book |last=Chamberlain |first=Gary |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=oAHhdczi9CcC&q=Yamuna+River&pg=PA16 |title=Troubled waters: religion, ethics, and the global water crisis |publisher=Rowman & Littlefield |year=2008 |isbn=978-0-7425-5245-6 |page=18 |access-date=3 October 2020 |archive-date=23 September 2024 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20240923062117/https://books.google.com/books?id=oAHhdczi9CcC&q=Yamuna+River&pg=PA16#v=snippet&q=Yamuna%20River&f=false |url-status=live }}</ref> The river is referred to as [[Rishi Asita|Asita]] in some historical texts.<ref>{{cite book |last=Gopal |first=Madan |url=https://archive.org/details/indiathroughages00mada |title=India through the ages |publisher=Publication Division, Ministry of Information and Broadcasting, Government of India |year=1990 |editor=K.S. Gautam |page=[https://archive.org/details/indiathroughages00mada/page/72 72] }}</ref>

====Shlokas on Yamuna====

Numerous [[Hindu texts]] have [[shloka]]s (hymns) on Yamuna as follows:
* "One should not give up the process of austerity. If possible, one should bathe in the water of the Yamuna. This is an item of austerity. Therefore, our Krishna consciousness movement has established a center in Vrindavana so that one may bathe in the Yamuna, chant the Hare Krishna mantra and then become perfect and return back to Godhead." (Srimad Bhagavatam 6.5.28 purport)<ref>{{citation |url=http://www.mathura-vrindavan.com/mathura1/yamunariver.htm |title=Yamuna River |work=Mathura-Vrindavan |access-date=28 July 2021 |archive-date=28 July 2021 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210728073534/http://www.mathura-vrindavan.com/mathura1/yamunariver.htm |url-status=live }}</ref>

==Ecology==

===Fauna===

The Yamuna, from the source to its culmination in the Ganges, is a habitat for fish for an approximately {{cvt|1400|km}} stretch and supports a rich diversity of species. Fish from the family [[Cyprinidae]] dominate the variety of fish species found in the river. This includes Indian [[carp]] and also invasive species from the family. In a study, 93 species of fish were found in the river including [[catfish]].<ref>Sharma, H.S., 2007. Freshwater Fishes. Fauna of Madhya Pradesh (including Chhattisgarh), State Fauna Series, 15(1), pp.147–244.[https://www.researchgate.net/profile/Kailash_Chandra3/publication/284724631_Fauna_of_Madhya_Pradesh_including_Chhaftisgarh/links/5657e76408aeafc2aac118d2/Fauna-of-Madhya-Pradesh-including-Chhaftisgarh.pdf#page=171] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20201202004920/https://www.researchgate.net/profile/Kailash_Chandra3/publication/284724631_Fauna_of_Madhya_Pradesh_including_Chhaftisgarh/links/5657e76408aeafc2aac118d2/Fauna-of-Madhya-Pradesh-including-Chhaftisgarh.pdf#page=171|date=2 December 2020}}</ref><ref>Sharma, A.P., Das, M.K., Samanta, S., Paul, S.K. and Bhowmick, S., 2014. The ecology and fishery status of river Yamuna. Bulletin, (184), pp.1–32.http://citeseerx.ist.psu.edu/viewdoc/download?doi=10.1.1.709.760&rep=rep1&type=pdf</ref> Species of non-native [[Tilapia]] have become established in the river. They have been implicated in the decline of the [[Ghariyal]] (Indian crocodile) population in the river.<ref>{{Cite journal |title=Lang, J.W., Chowfin, S. and Ross, J.P., 2019. Gavialis gangeficus }}</ref> Large turtles used to be a common sight on the river a few decades ago but they have mostly disappeared.<ref name="Haberman2006b">{{cite book |first=David |last=Haberman |title=River of Love in an Age of Pollution: The Yamuna River of Northern India |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=CJFdkkGSV8gC&pg=PR13 |date=10 September 2006 |publisher=University of California Press |isbn=978-0-520-93962-2 |pages=9, 91 |access-date=23 January 2020 |archive-date=15 December 2022 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20221215172613/https://books.google.com/books?id=CJFdkkGSV8gC&pg=PR13 |url-status=live }}</ref>

==Pollution==
[[File:Yamuna river near the Himalayas.jpg|right|250px|thumb|The Yamuna near the Himalayas, just as it reaches the plains, beyond [[Dehradun]] in Uttarakhand]]
In 1909, the waters of the Yamuna were distinguishable as clear blue, when compared to the silt-laden yellow of the Ganges.<ref name=imp>[https://dsal.uchicago.edu/reference/gazetteer/pager.html?objectid=DS405.1.I34_V01_053.gif The Ganges and the Jumna] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20240923062233/https://dsal.uchicago.edu/reference/gazetteer/pager.html?objectid=DS405.1.I34_V01_053.gif |date=23 September 2024 }} [[The Imperial Gazetteer of India]], 1909 v. 1, ''p. 23.''</ref> However, due to high-density population growth and fast industrialisation, Yamuna has become one of the [[List of most-polluted rivers|most polluted rivers in the world]].<ref>{{cite journal |doi=10.1016/j.envint.2019.02.033 |pmid=30802637 |title=River Ganga pollution: Causes and failed management plans (correspondence on Dwivedi et al. 2018. Ganga water pollution: A potential health threat to inhabitants of Ganga basin. Environment International 117, 327–338) |journal=Environment International |volume=126 |pages=202–206 |year=2019 |last1=Chaudhary |first1=Meenakshi |last2=Walker |first2=Tony R. |doi-access=free |bibcode=2019EnInt.126..202C }}</ref> The Yamuna is particularly polluted downstream of New Delhi, the capital of India, which dumps about 58% of its waste into the river. A 2016 study shows that there is 100% [[urban metabolism]] of River Yamuna as it passes through the National Capital Territory (NCT) of Delhi.<ref>{{Cite web |title=Urban Metabolism of River Yamuna in the National Capital Territory of Delhi, India. |url=https://www.researchgate.net/publication/308180160 |access-date=25 November 2020 |website=ResearchGate |language=en }}</ref> The most pollution comes from Wazirabad, from where Yamuna enters Delhi.<ref>Sharma, Manju & Chaudhry, Smita. (2015). [https://www.researchgate.net/publication/283443245_Impact_of_Industrial_Pollution_on_Yamuna_River_A_Review Impact of Industrial Pollution on Yamuna River: A Review] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230123080951/https://www.researchgate.net/publication/283443245_Impact_of_Industrial_Pollution_on_Yamuna_River_A_Review |date=23 January 2023 }}. 10.13140/RG.2.1.3632.8401.</ref>

In November of 2024, a video went viral in which women were depicted bathing in foam that had emerged in the river. Although it appeared similar to that resulting from cosmetic products such as soap or shampoo, experts determined that the foam was caused by heavy pollution, and was therefore hazardous. Local authorities instructed residents not to bathe in the river for health concerns.<ref>{{cite news |title=Woman washes hair in Yamuna with hazardous foam in viral video; Social media exclaimed 'not shampoo'; Here's clip |url=https://economictimes.indiatimes.com/news/new-updates/woman-washes-hair-in-yamuna-with-hazardous-foam-in-viral-video-social-media-exclaimed-not-shampoo-heres-clip/articleshow/115092254.cms?from=mdr |work=The Economic Times |date=8 November 2024}}</ref>

===Causes===

The [[Wazirabad barrage]] to the [[New Okhla Barrage]] segment, "22 km stretch of Yamuna in Delhi, is less than 2% of Yamuna's total length but accounts for nearly 80% of the total pollution in the river",<ref name=newindianexpress-27Jul21/> 22 out of 35 sewage treatment plants in Delhi do not meet the wastewater standards prescribed by the Delhi Pollution Control Committee (DPCC), thus untreated wastewater and poor quality of water discharged from the wastewater treatment plants are the major reasons.<ref name=newindianexpress-27Jul21>{{cite news |url=https://www.newindianexpress.com/cities/delhi/2021/jul/27/yamuna-not-fit-for-bathing-says-govt-report-2336014.html |title=Yamuna not fit for bathing, says govt report |date=27 July 2021 |work=[[The New Indian Express]] |language=en |access-date=27 July 2021 |archive-date=27 July 2021 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210727050823/https://www.newindianexpress.com/cities/delhi/2021/jul/27/yamuna-not-fit-for-bathing-says-govt-report-2336014.html |url-status=live }}</ref> As of 2019, the river receives 800&nbsp;million litres of largely untreated sewage and additional 44&nbsp;million litres of industrial effluents each day, of which only 35 percent of the sewage released into the river are believed to be treated.<ref name="sustainability-times">{{cite news |url=https://www.sustainability-times.com/environmental-protection/a-river-deemed-sacred-in-india-has-become-polluted-beyond-belief/ |title=A 'sacred' river in India has become polluted beyond belief |date=26 November 2019 |first1=Darunee |last1=Sukanan |work=Sustainability Times |language=en |access-date=28 November 2019 |archive-date=28 November 2019 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20191128161921/https://www.sustainability-times.com/environmental-protection/a-river-deemed-sacred-in-india-has-become-polluted-beyond-belief/ |url-status=dead }}</ref> In 1994, the states of Himachal Pradesh, Uttar Pradesh, Haryana, Rajasthan and Delhi made a water sharing agreement that is due for revision in 2025. To achieve a water quality suitable for bathing ([[Biochemical oxygen demand|BOD]]<3&nbsp;mg/L and [[Oxygen saturation#DO|DO]]>5&nbsp;mg/L) would require a greater rate of water flow in the river. A study has recommended that {{convert|23|m3|l impgal}} per second of water should be released from [[Hathni Kund Barrage]] during the lean season to provide a minimum [[environmental flow]] in the Yamuna.<ref name=newindianexpress-27Jul21/>

The last barrage across the Yamuna river is the [[Mathura barrage]] at [[Gokul]] to supply its drinking water. Downstream of this barrage, many pumping stations are constructed to feed the river water for irrigation needs.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.india-wris.nrsc.gov.in/wrpinfo/index.php?title=Headworks_(Dam,_Barrage,Weir,_Anicut,_Lift) |title=list of head works (Dams,_Barrages, Weirs, Anicuts, Lifts) on Yamuna/Ganga river |access-date=14 May 2015 |archive-date=21 September 2017 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170921052447/http://www.india-wris.nrsc.gov.in/wrpinfo/index.php?title=Headworks_(Dam,_Barrage,Weir,_Anicut,_Lift) |url-status=live }}</ref> These pumping stations are near Pateora Danda {{Coord|25|55|09|N|80|13|27|E|type:landmark_region:IN-UP}}, Samgara {{Coord|25|41|13|N|80|46|27|E|type:landmark_region:IN-UP}}, Ainjhi {{Coord|25|43|35|N|80|49|33|E|type:landmark_region:IN-UP}}, Bilas Khadar {{Coord|25|31|35|N|81|02|43|E|type:landmark_region:IN-UP}}, and Samari {{Coord|25|27|19|N|81|11|43|E|type:landmark_region:IN-UP}}. Depletion of the [[Baseflow|base flows]] available in the river during the non-monsoon months by these pump houses is exacerbating river pollution from Mathura to Prayagraj in the absence of adequate fresh water to dilute the polluted drainage from habitations and industries.{{Citation needed|date=February 2023}}

=== Cleanup efforts ===
To address river pollution, measures have been taken by the [[Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change|Ministry of Environment and Forests]] (MoEF) in 12 towns of Haryana, 8 towns of Uttar Pradesh, and Delhi, under the [[Yamuna Action Plan]] (YAP) which has been implemented since 1993 by the MoEF's National River Conservation Directorate (NRCD). The Japan Bank for International Cooperation is participating in the YAP in 15 of the towns (excluding 6 towns of [[Haryana]] included later on the direction of the [[Supreme Court of India]]) with soft loan assistance of 17.773&nbsp;billion [[Japanese yen]] (equivalent to about {{INR}}700 crore [7&nbsp;billion rupees]) while the government of India is providing the funds for the remaining 6 towns. In 2007, the Indian government's plans to repair sewage lines were predicted to improve the water quality of the river 90% by 2010.<ref>{{cite news |last=Pepper |first=Daniel |title=India's 'flush-and-forget' mindset |work=SFGate.com |pages=A17–A18 |publisher=San Francisco Chronicle |date=27 July 2007 |url=http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?f=/c/a/2007/07/27/MNGMJR7G6S1.DTL&hw=yamuna&sn=001&sc=1000 |access-date=27 July 2007 |archive-date=10 April 2008 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20080410134056/http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?f=/c/a/2007/07/27/MNGMJR7G6S1.DTL&hw=yamuna&sn=001&sc=1000 |url-status=live }}</ref><ref>{{cite web |title=CAG castigates Delhi Govt over Yamuna river pollution |url=http://www.expressindia.com/news/ie/daily/20000408/ina08010.html |date=8 April 2000 |publisher=[[Indian Express]] |access-date=3 September 2009 |archive-date=14 January 2012 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120114135801/http://www.expressindia.com/news/ie/daily/20000408/ina08010.html |url-status=live }}</ref><ref>{{cite news |title=India's rivers are drowning in pollution |url=https://money.cnn.com/magazines/fortune/fortune_archive/2007/06/11/100083453/index.htm |date=4 June 2007 |work=[[Fortune (magazine)|Fortune]] |first=Daniel |last=Pepper |access-date=3 August 2020 |archive-date=23 September 2024 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20240923062121/https://money.cnn.com/magazines/fortune/fortune_archive/2007/06/11/100083453/index.htm |url-status=live }}</ref>{{update inline|date=November 2018}}

Under the YAP- III scheme, a new sewage treatment plant is being built at the largest such facility in India by the Delhi Jal Board (DJB). The plant is predicted to be able to treat 124&nbsp;million gallons of wastewater per day, amounting to a daily removal of {{cvt|41200|kg}} of organic pollutants as well as {{cvt|61600|kg}} of solids.<ref>{{cite news |url=https://economictimes.indiatimes.com/news/politics-and-nation/indias-largest-sewage-treatment-plant-to-come-up-at-okhla-djb/articleshow/69565260.cms?from=mdr |title=India's largest sewage treatment plant to come up at Okhla: DJB |date=29 May 2019 |work=The Economic Times |access-date=28 November 2019 |archive-date=8 November 2020 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20201108003324/https://economictimes.indiatimes.com/news/politics-and-nation/indias-largest-sewage-treatment-plant-to-come-up-at-okhla-djb/articleshow/69565260.cms?from=mdr |url-status=live }}</ref>

In August 2009, the Delhi Jal Board (DJB) initiated its plan for resuscitating the Yamuna's {{convert|22|km|mi|adj=on}} stretch in Delhi by constructing interceptor sewers, at the cost of about {{INR}}1,800 crore (18&nbsp;billion rupees).<ref>{{cite news |title=Inflow to Yamuna to be cleaned up at last |url=http://www.expressindia.com/latest-news/inflow-to-yamuna-to-be-cleaned-up-at-last/509240/ |first1=Geeta |last1=Gupta |work=[[Indian Express]] |date=31 August 2009 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120114221756/http://www.expressindia.com/latest-news/inflow-to-yamuna-to-be-cleaned-up-at-last/509240/ |archive-date=14 January 2012 }}</ref>

On 25 April 2014, the [[National Green Tribunal Act]] (NGA) recommended the government to declare a {{convert|52|km|mi|adj=on}} stretch of the Yamuna in Delhi and Uttar Pradesh as a conservation zone. A report prepared by the Ministry of Environment and Forests (MoEF) panel was submitted to the NGA on the same day.<ref>{{cite news |date=26 April 2014 |title=Panel: Scrap Yamuna riverfront project |work=Delhi Daily News |url=http://www.delhidailynews.com/news/Panel--Scrap-Yamuna-riverfront-project-1398490017/ |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140716034616/http://www.delhidailynews.com/news/Panel--Scrap-Yamuna-riverfront-project-1398490017/ |archive-date=16 July 2014 }}</ref>

The High Court in the northern Indian state of Uttarakhand ordered in March 2017 that the Ganges and its main tributary, the Yamuna, be assigned the status of legal entities, making the rivers "legal and living entities having the status of a legal person with all corresponding rights, duties and liabilities".<ref name="Guardian-21Mar17">{{Cite news |last1=Safi |first1=Michael |author2=Agencies |date=21 March 2017 |title=Ganges and Yamuna rivers granted same legal rights as human beings |language=en-GB |work=The Guardian |url=https://www.theguardian.com/world/2017/mar/21/ganges-and-yamuna-rivers-granted-same-legal-rights-as-human-beings |access-date=25 March 2019 |issn=0261-3077 |archive-date=20 April 2021 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210420192210/https://www.theguardian.com/world/2017/mar/21/ganges-and-yamuna-rivers-granted-same-legal-rights-as-human-beings |url-status=live }}</ref> This decision meant that polluting or damaging the rivers is equivalent to harming a person. The court cited the example of the New Zealand [[Whanganui River]], which was also declared to possess full rights of a legal person.<ref name="Guardian-21Mar17" />

On February 2025, after the [[Bharatiya Janata Party]] won the [[2025 Delhi Legislative Assembly election|2025 Delhi Legislative Assembly elections]], the [[Ministry of Jal Shakti]] introduced the 'Yamuna Master Plan,' aimed at cleaning the river along the Delhi section. The plan outlines several steps to reduce pollution and restore the water quality of the river.<ref>{{Cite web |date=2025-02-28 |title=Centre prepares 'Yamuna Master Plan' to clean river in mission mode: Sources |url=https://www.indiatoday.in/cities/delhi/story/yamuna-cleaning-pollution-master-plan-centre-forms-pm-narendra-modi-approval-bjp-aap-2686842-2025-02-28?utm_source=chatgpt.com |access-date=2025-03-11 |website=India Today |language=en}}</ref> Additionally, the BJP government in Delhi has set a 2027 deadline for the completion of the cleaning process, with a four-stage strategy focused on removing waste, [[silt]], and cleaning major drains.<ref>{{Cite news |date=2025-02-17 |title=Yamuna cleaning begins after Delhi polls; Here's the plan |url=https://economictimes.indiatimes.com/news/india/yamuna-cleaning-begins-after-delhi-polls-heres-the-plan/articleshow/118316066.cms?from=mdr |access-date=2025-03-11 |work=The Economic Times |issn=0013-0389}}</ref> As part of its plan to improve the river's surrounding environment, the government is also working on promoting tourism, including a proposed river cruise service between [[Sonia Vihar]] and [[Jagatpur Village, Delhi|Jagatpur]] in Delhi.<ref>{{Cite web |date=11 March 2025 |title=Water taxis soon on 4km stretch of Yamuna in Delhi |url=https://www.hindustantimes.com/cities/delhi-news/water-taxis-soon-on-4km-stretch-of-yamuna-in-delhi-101741629854119.html |access-date=11 March 2025 |website=[[The Hindustan Times]]}}</ref>

==Gallery==
<gallery mode="packed" heights="134">
File:YamunaRiver.jpg|The Yamuna, seen from the [[Taj Mahal]] at [[Agra]] in Uttar Pradesh
File:Madan Mohan temple, on the Yamuna, Vrindavan, 1789.jpg|Madan Mohan temple, on the Yamuna at [[Vrindavan]] in Uttar Pradesh, 1789; the river has since shifted further away
File:Keshighat Vrindavan.JPG|'Keshi Ghat' on the Yamuna at [[Vrindavan]] in Uttar Pradesh
File:Yamuna River Near Allahabad.jpg|The Yamuna near Prayagraj in Uttar Pradesh, just a few kilometres before it meets the [[Ganges]]
File:Yamuna river, Allahabad.jpg|The Yamuna near Prayagraj in Uttar Pradesh, during the monsoon
File:View of yamuna from okhla bird sanctuary.jpg|View of Yamuna from [[Okhla Sanctuary]]
File:Yamuna (Kesi Ghata).jpg|View of Yamuna from [[Kesi Ghata]]
File:Hanthnikund Barrage.jpg|The Yamuna view from [[Hathni Kund Barrage]]
</gallery>

==See also==

* [[Environmental personhood]]
* [[List of rivers of India]]
* [[List of most-polluted rivers]]
* [[Western Jamuna Canal Link]]
* [[Yamuna in Hinduism]]
* [[Yamuna Pushkaram]]
* [[Yamuna Pushta]]

==References==
{{Reflist}}

==Further reading==

* {{cite book |last=Fraser |first=James Baillie |author-link=James Baillie Fraser |title=Journal of a tour through part of the snowy range of the Himala Mountains, and to the sources of the rivers Jumna and Ganges |url=https://archive.org/stream/journaloftourthr00fras#page/n3/mode/2up |year=1820 |publisher=Rodwell and Martin, London }}
* {{cite book |title=River of love in an age of pollution: the Yamuna River of northern India |last=Haberman |first=David L. |year=2006 |publisher=[[University of California Press]] |isbn=0-520-24790-6 |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=CJFdkkGSV8gC&q=Yamuna&pg=PA1 }}
* {{cite book |title=Sustainable regional water management of Yamuna river basin: A case study |last=Schumann |first=A. H. |year=2001 |publisher=[[International Association of Hydrological Sciences]]([[International Association of Hydrological Sciences|IAHS]]) |isbn=1-901502-51-1 |pages=25–32 |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=YT_5Lp0JqVEC&q=Yamuna+River&pg=PA25 }}

==External links==
{{commons category|Yamuna River}}

* {{usurped|1=[https://web.archive.org/web/20180115044119/http://www.tri-murti.com/ancientindia/rigHistory/ch4.htm The Geography of the Rigveda]}}
* [https://web.archive.org/web/20040719190252/http://yap.nic.in/yamuna.asp Yamuna Action Plan]
* {{YouTube|eHCaIvPN2rY|The Yamuna, India's most polluted river}}. ''[[The Guardian]]'' (7 July 2017)
* [http://yamunamission.com/ Yamuna Mission]
* [https://examgain.vercel.app/revision/ssc/river-system-of-india Yamuna and other Rivers SSC Questions]
* The painting ''A Ruin on the Banks of the Jumna, Above the City of Delhi '' by William Purser, engraved by [[William Joseph Taylor]], as an illustration to {{ws|[[s:Letitia Elizabeth Landon (L. E. L.) in Fisher's Drawing Room Scrap Book, 1834/The Zenana - Continuation 1|The Zenana]]}}, a poem by [[Letitia Elizabeth Landon]].

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[[Category:Yamuna River| ]]
[[Category:Rigvedic rivers]]
[[Category:Rivers of Delhi]]
[[Category:Rivers of Haryana]]
[[Category:Rivers of Uttar Pradesh]]
[[Category:Rivers of Uttarakhand]]
[[Category:Sacred rivers]]
[[Category:Sea and river goddesses]]
[[Category:Tributaries of the Ganges]]
[[Category:Sarasvati River]]
[[Category:Rivers in Buddhism]]
[[Category:Environmental personhood]]