Journal of Pollution Effects & Control
Open Access

Abstract

A Review on Western Yamuna Canal Water Quality Upstream and Downstream of Yamunanagar, Industrial Town

Sakhuja N and Sharma V

Yamuna Nagar is a city in the Indian state of Haryana. It is located south-east of the state capital Chandigarh. This town is known for the cluster of plywood units. It is also known for providing the country’s finest timber to even larger industries. The older town is called Jagadhri. It used to be a green, clean and prosperous industrial city. However, due to recent spur in Industrial units in and around the city have resulted in severe air, water and soil pollution issues. Yamuna Nagar has the river Yamuna running through the district, and forming the eastern boundary with the neighbouring Saharanpur district. This boundary is also a state boundary, as Saharanpur is in the state of Uttar Pradesh. The district also separates the Yamuna system from the Satluj river system. Yamuna’s pollution starts from Tajewala in the upper segment. Here two canals, the Western Yamuna Canal (WYC) and the Eastern Yamuna Canal (EYC), divert river waters into Haryana and Uttar Pradesh (UP). The WYC crosses Yamuna Nagar, Karnal and Panipat before reaching the Haiderpur treatment plant (which supplies part of Delhi’s water), receiving wastewater from Yamuna Nagar and Panipat. The WYC at Yamuna Nagar, and rejoins the canal about 80 km downstream at Karnal. All domestic and industrial discharges from the effluents of paper mill, sugar mill, metal industries, distilleries, starch mill etc. are let out into this canal located at Yamunanagar. The water has a bad odour and contains a high amount of metal content, beside a high content of B.O.D. The water samples were collected at regular intervals from various strategic points at the exit of effluents from various industries. The parameters studied were temperature, pH, turbidity, solids, hardness, chloride content, dissolved oxygen, biochemical oxygen demand, chemical oxygen demand, turbidity, conductivity, total E. coli, fungi, etc. These contaminants have contributed the water unfit for drinking.