Impact of urbanization on the river Yamuna basin

Abstract

This paper analyses the pattern of urbanization and its impact on the quality and quantity of flow in the Yamuna river basin, India. The Yamuna river basin is a part of Great Ganga–Brahmaputra basin in India. During the last two decades, the basin has undergone urbanization at an unprecedented rate. The number of cities and towns in the basin has significantly increased over the last few decades, leading to an increase in water demand and reduction in water holding capacity in the basin. Urbanization has resulted in adverse impacts on the surface water drainage system that often gets clogged up due to siltation. Although the flow during the monsoon season has increased in the river Yamuna, the water availability during the dry season is still not adequate to meet various competing demands. An adverse impact of urbanization has been on the quality of river flow, which has deteriorated largely due to the disposal of untreated industrial and domestic sewage in the river. Due to urbanization, the flooding events in the basin, both in terms of magnitude and frequency, have exhibited an increasing pattern. Consequently, the vulnerability of thickly populated areas along the river has increased. Several implementable measures for sustainable development and flood risk management of the river Yamuna basin have been suggested in this paper. The results of the study presented herein could be effectively utilized by basin managers and planners to mitigate the adverse impacts of urbanization in river Yamuna basin.