Smart Sustainable Solutions to Mitigate Water Pollution in Yamuna River

The condition of the Yamuna River in the National Capital Territory presents a grim picture. The quality of water not only raises serious health concerns but also jeopardizes the biodiversity and aquatic ecosystems in its vicinity. Throughout the 48 km stretch of Yamuna along the NCT (from Palla village to Okhla bridge), it receives millions of gallons of sewage/wastewater. In addition to this, the discharge of untreated industrial effluents causes alarmingly high levels of ammonia, heavy metals like chromium (Cr), nickel (Ni), copper (Cu), zinc (Zn), arsenic (As), cadmium (Cd), lead (Pb) and mercury (Hg), dyes, pesticides, etc. Various initiatives have been taken by the government to improve the quality of water in Yamuna River. The Yamuna Action Plan is one of the largest restoration projects in which billions of money is spent to mitigate the pollution level. The present review work highlights the major contributors to wastewater in the Yamuna River. The timeline of various initiatives taken by the government to apply conventional approaches to mitigate the pollution levels in the river is also discussed. The promising sustainable alternative approaches using smart nanomaterials and advanced nanotechnological interventions for wastewater treatment are also discussed in detail.