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Saving the Yamuna: India’s river lifeline (Photo essay)

Photographer Abhishek Singh journeys along India’s Yamuna River — capturing how communities and activists battle pollution, from local clean-ups to collective action across the basin.

Saving the Yamuna: India’s river lifeline (Photo essay)
Namami Gange and Tree Craze Foundation workers clean the Yamuna River. On weekends, locals come together to fight pollution and restore this vital lifeline. Photo: Abhishek Singh
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This story is part of the Invited Voices series — real stories from communities on the frontlines of climate change.

As I gaze out over the Yamuna River, a pink-coded metro glides across grey pillars, carrying commuters through Delhi’s bustling expanse. Below, the river drags itself forward — choked, emaciated, frothy with industrial waste.

At Kalindi Kunj Ghat, cattle wade through the polluted Yamuna, polybags pile on the shore, and worshippers still gather to perform rituals. Rivers hold deep cultural meaning in India, yet here they resemble drainage canals more than sacred lifelines.

I wonder: has unchecked development pushed these rivers past the point where culture and nature can coexist?

A mirror of India’s water crisis

The Yamuna has become a mirror, reflecting not only waste but the pace of modern life. Quick comforts blind us to long-term costs. We risk the future of coming generations without a pause.

But amid this despair, I meet people like Bhavesh. Despite living with a disability, he travels across India, joining Yamuna River cleanup efforts wherever he can.

Every week, around 30 volunteers from groups like TREE Craze Foundation and the Namami Gange project gather to remove kilograms of waste from the Yamuna’s banks. Their work doesn’t end at collection — they brainstorm solutions, swap ideas, and build momentum toward a shared goal.

For them, cleaning the Yamuna isn’t just about trash. It’s about reclaiming a relationship between people and water.

From local clean-ups to basin-wide change

India’s cities face a growing water crisis. Reviving rivers like the Yamuna is no longer optional — it’s urgent.

The good news? River pollution in India can be reversed. With the right technology, policies, and, most importantly, determination, rivers can begin to heal. One flood season, free from fresh contamination, could spark remarkable recovery.

The problem isn’t a lack of tools. It’s the patchwork approach. Cleaning only sections of a river, without tackling the entire catchment, is like patching holes in a sinking boat.

We need to act as one, not as scattered groups, but as a collective determined to stop polluting, enforce environmental laws, and give our rivers space to breathe.

Why can't we turn away?

Standing by the Yamuna, I see more than filth. I see a possibility. I know the power of people who refuse to turn away.

We must stop seeing rivers as someone else’s problem. They are part of who we are — and part of who we will become.

Two fishermen in a boat cast nets on the Yamuna River at sunrise, with black clouds partially covering the sun and polluted foam floating on the water.
Morning on the Yamuna River, where two fishermen cast their nets as the rising sun plays hide and seek behind dark clouds. Photo: Abhishek Singh
A man at Nigam Bodh Ghat lifts his cloth in the morning light, preparing for a ritual bath in the Yamuna River, where devotees worship the sun and offer lamps.
At Nigam Bodh Ghat, a man prepares for morning rituals by the Yamuna River. With sunrise, people bathe, offer prayers to Lord Surya, and light lamps of hope. Photo: Abhishek Singh
Volunteers from Namami Gange and Tree Craze Foundation remove waste from the Yamuna River, with city buildings and polluted water in the background.
Namami Gange and Tree Craze Foundation volunteers work along the polluted Yamuna River. On weekends, residents join to clean the riverbanks. Photo: Abhishek Singh

Volunteers work tirelessly to remove waste from the Yamuna River. With gloves and determination, they tackle the polluted banks and waters, showing how collective action is helping revive India’s sacred river. Photos: Abhishek Singh

A cow stands surrounded by thick, polluted foam on the banks of the Yamuna River in Delhi, where severe contamination has turned the river into a frothy drain.
The Yamuna River in Delhi is so polluted that thick foam now covers its surface, blurring the line between river and drain. Even animals wander through the toxic froth, unaware of the danger. Photo: Abhishek Singh
Two people clean trash from the Yamuna River’s polluted banks in Delhi, with foam patches floating on the water and a large bridge in the background.
Two volunteers clean the polluted banks of the Yamuna River in Delhi, collecting trash and debris as toxic foam floats downstream. Photo: Abhishek Singh
A group of people sit on the Yamuna River steps, preparing offerings and prayers, while a stray dog stands nearby, reflecting India’s deep spiritual connection to rivers.
At the riverbank, people gather to pray and make offerings, honouring the Yamuna as a mother figure. Despite the pollution, faith and tradition continue. Photo: Abhishek Singh
A herd of buffalo walks through the polluted, foam-covered Yamuna River in Delhi, reflecting the severe contamination that has transformed the river into a gutter-like flow.
Buffaloes wade through the polluted Yamuna River in Delhi, where contamination and foam have blurred the river’s identity, turning it from a sacred waterway into a toxic drain. Photo: Abhishek Singh
A man at Nigam Bodh Ghat kneels by the Yamuna River at sunrise, holding a lit diya (lamp) as part of his morning prayers to the sun god, Lord Surya.
With the morning light at Nigam Bodh Ghat, a man offers prayers to Lord Surya, lighting a diya (lamp) by the Yamuna River. It is a ritual of hope and devotion. Photo: Abhishek Singh
A man and a young girl wearing gloves work together to clean trash from the Yamuna River’s rocky bank, while other volunteers remove waste along the polluted river.
Volunteers, including families and children, join Namami Gange and Tree Craze Foundation to clean the polluted banks of the Yamuna River on weekends. Photo: Abhishek Singh
A chicken stands near a small fire on a mat by the Yamuna River, while families gather in the background near foamy, polluted waters under cloudy skies.
Life unfolds along the polluted Yamuna River. A chicken walks past a small fire, as families shelter nearby under grey skies and foamy waters. Amid poverty and contamination, daily life continues. Photo: Abhishek Singh