Removing Yamuna silt to hit Taj stability: IIT to top court
The two-member team from IIT Roorkee, after undertaking field inspections and site visits at Agra, concluded that removing silt, garbage and sludge from the riverbed was not viable
Removing silt, sludge and garbage from the Yamuna riverbed in Agra will impact the structural stability of the iconic Taj Mahal and other important monuments in its vicinity, and also the flow of water in the river, a team of experts from the Indian Institute of Technology (IIT), Roorkee has informed the Supreme Court.
The IIT team’s report, submitted last week, came in response to an application filed before the apex court by Agra Development Foundation — a registered trust — that stressed the need for desilting the Yamuna riverbed over a stretch of 20-22 kilometres in Agra.
The application said the presence of large quantities of silt, sludge and garbage in the riverbed, almost to the depth of five to six metres, sends a wrong message to millions of tourists, due to the stink emanating from the river that flows along the northern boundary of Taj Mahal. Besides, the sludge and garbage contaminate the soil with chemicals which affects the foundational stability of the 17th-century monument.
The two-member team from IIT Roorkee, after undertaking field inspections and site visits at Agra, concluded that removing silt, garbage and sludge from the riverbed was not viable. “Since many religious places such as Kailash Mandir Ghat and important monuments such as Taj Mahal are located very near to Yamuna riverbank, dredging of riverbed up to 5 to 6 metres depth will have detrimental effect on structural and foundational stability of these structures,” the panel said in its report.
The top court is yet to consider the IIT panel’s report. On October 4, when the matter came up for hearing before a bench of justices Abhay S Oka and Augustine George Masih, it was adjourned to November 8.
{{/usCountry}}The top court is yet to consider the IIT panel’s report. On October 4, when the matter came up for hearing before a bench of justices Abhay S Oka and Augustine George Masih, it was adjourned to November 8.
{{/usCountry}}The experts have maintained that the presence of garbage and sludge on the riverbed was primarily due to the discharge of untreated waste water from different parts of the city.
{{/usCountry}}The experts have maintained that the presence of garbage and sludge on the riverbed was primarily due to the discharge of untreated waste water from different parts of the city.
{{/usCountry}}The application had pointed out that nearly 90 surface drains join the Yamuna and many of them have untreated and untapped waste, including solid waste, sludge, polythene and plastic, which have deposited on the riverbed over the years, increasing its height, reducing the ability of the river to hold water, and creating a stench along the stretch of the river.
{{/usCountry}}The application had pointed out that nearly 90 surface drains join the Yamuna and many of them have untreated and untapped waste, including solid waste, sludge, polythene and plastic, which have deposited on the riverbed over the years, increasing its height, reducing the ability of the river to hold water, and creating a stench along the stretch of the river.
{{/usCountry}}The report said, “Removal of silt, sludge and garbage...will significantly affect the flow regime and morphology of river, not only in this stretch (of 20 to 22 kms) but also on both upstream and downstream of this stretch.”
The panel further explained that desilting would lower the riverbed level by five to six metres, leading to an increase in the velocity of flow of the water and erosion of the riverbank on the upstream side. At the downstream side, however, there will be a considerable deposit on the riverbed, it added.
Comparing dredging or desilting to sand mining, the experts said it will impact the bridges situated on the river — serving as a crucial rail and road link to Delhi — exposing the foundations of the piers and abutments of the bridges endangering the safety of the bridges, thus impacting the transport network of Agra city.
The Uttar Pradesh government had requested IIT Roorkee to undertake the study following an order of the top court of July 11 while considering the application. “If the IIT Roorkee is of the view that it is advisable to do the said work, the manner and mode of doing the said work shall be specified,” the court had said.
Earlier, the UP government had responded to the application by denying any possibility of removing the sludge and garbage from the riverbed. The application has raised several pressing concerns and the court has noted that the stand of the state was not supported by any technical or scientific reasoning.
The application was argued by advocate Kishan Chand Jain, who pointed out that the Yamuna was prone to floods due to repeated failure by authorities to carry out desilting and restoring the natural status of the riverbed.
Last year, the water from the river had reached the boundary wall of the Taj Mahal, a first in 45 years. The groundwater table in Agra was receding year by year, with more and more residents drawing groundwater for drinking and agricultural purposes. This led to several diseases due to the heavy presence of metals in water, Jain had argued.
What was more worrying was the damage caused by the polluted river to the iconic monument, considered among the world’s seven wonders. The presence of chemicals and other pollutants in the river was gradually making its way to the foundation of the Taj Mahal, causing damage to the salwood foundation of the Mughal-era architectural marvel. The petition produced news reports pointing to the discoloration of the marble walls caused by insects found near the river.
The increased deposits of sludge and garbage has led to a decreased riverbed height. Data available from the Central Water Commission shows the riverbed level pre-monsoon and post-monsoon have reduced about 2 to 2.5 metres from 1978 to 2023.
Each year, millions of tourist flock to Agra for a glimpse of the marble marvel built by Mughal emperor Shah Jahan. The application — which was moved in a petition seeking to protect the Taj Mahal pending before the top court since 1984 — has sought urgent action on desilting considering its impact on India’s image globally as well as on the tourism prospects of Agra and the country.
