Yamuna Ghat

I’ve been living in Delhi for the past 2 years and those who have lived in Delhi know that not only the Summers are unbearable but even the winter days are quite bothersome. Winter starts from early November; the mercury drops to a level around 8-degree Celsius. Other than the harsh cold winter winds, the amount of pollution the city accumulates at that time of the years is also unfortunate. As winter hits, there is a sudden rise in Smog due to the mixture of fog from the winter winds and the pollution due the Diwali celebration just a few weeks ago. The air is unbearable and visibility reduces to as less as 500m. The time is quite dangerous and a health hazard for all those who are living here.

A silver lining during this horrible time is the initiation of migration of the Seagulls from Siberia. Just a little far away from the old Delhi 6 lies the Ghats of the river Yamuna. The river Yamuna is considered to be one of the holiest rivers for the Hindu religion. The Ghats are a praying and cleansing place for many devotes as well as a cremation place for dead. The area beside the Ghats are resident to different pandits, holy men, and people who have boats as a source of income. During the beginning of the month of November, a huge no. of Seagulls are seen migrating here. During this time, the place becomes a paradise for photographers, bloggers, videographers, tourists, etc. 

Seagulls in Yamuna Ghat

Yamuna Ghat during the November to the month of February is filled with photographers, tourists, videographers, vloggers, etc. because of how mesmerizing this place become. The early morning sky is filled with thousands of birds flying over. One can hardly begin to count the birds as they just fill the sky. The locals have their business set up of having ferries which carry passengers to the middle of the river for a glance and magic of thousand birds flying and surrounding themselves, this experience is quite one to adore for life. The experience of getting surrounded by thousands of birds whilst you are on the middle of a river in a boat is quite an exuberating experience which might be closest to experiencing magic.

Middle of the river

Photographers at the Ghat

Sadly, when you give a reality check around this place you find that although Yamuna being one of the holiest rivers in India, it is also one of the most polluted rivers in India. It hard to digest the fact that this dirty water is actually the source of water for these people and they use this water for their regular purposes. The scene set in Yamuna Ghat is something to be remembered but so is the stench of the river water. The river is used as a waste disposal system of the local people and even the carcass wastes are disposed off here. When questioned why so; it’s common to get answers like,” The river is Holy so it has the ability to cleanse itself so the water if even consumed is God’s gift and nothing can happen".

Morning Prayers

A boatman at Yamuna Ghat

 I made a visit during February when the Seagulls have migrated back to Siberia, I was welcomed with the horrible smell coming from the black grey muddy water. The place wasn’t as special as it would have been just a week or so, which made me ask a question to myself. What if the pollution is so much that the birds completely stop coming here? The pollution of Delhi increasing at a rapid rate and there seem to be no control for it. Even a holy river is not spared. There are many projects by the government being introduced for cleaning the rivers of India but there is a little hope if the locals don’t pay heed towards their own gem of a belonging. I feel in some years the river water may be so much polluted that it might even stop flowing and hence becoming stagnant. Something that you wont even consider as a river, let alone a Holy one.

A man trying to clean the river.

The fact that Yamuna is one of the holiest rivers in India does not seem to be in support when it comes to cleanliness, the area is littered, the river is contaminated, the water is mud, the smell is awful. It gives a rise to the question of how we are treating our water bodies around the country during such a time in life when Water Scarcity is at high rise. People are blinded by faith and due to the lack of basic education aren’t able to comprehend their own logic. For them Yamuna cannot be broken down by rubbish or garbage, but who will tell them the same Yamuna which they pray to and are devoted towards isn’t even in a state where it can be healed and recover if not treated right. The blame doesn’t only go to the uneducated or unbothered locals but also to everyone who is contributing to this pollution throughout the flowing of the river. From factories disposing off waste or dirty materials into the river to people unloading their domestic waste into the water bodies.

Seagulls in action

Dirty stagnant water