Dead fish on Delhi’s Yamuna raises effluent concern again

The article published on April 21, 2026 reports the continuing fish deaths along the Najafgarh drain and references earlier developments, including January 2023 data showing the Najafgarh drain accounts for about 68.71% of Yamuna wastewater, other drains' shares, and prior incidents in 2022, 2024, and 2025, along with discussion of dissolved oxygen issues and expert commentary.

Thousands of dead fish were observed floating along the Najafgarh drain for at least the past five days, with the water described as darker and murkier and a strong smell reported. Locals said the deaths are likely due to effluents from industries on the Haryana side, and noted the drain is logged near the Dhansa regulator; some fish are also seen in nearby fields due to groundwater submersion.

In May 2025, hundreds of dead fish were recorded along the Yamuna banks near Burari, continuing a pattern of recurring fish mortality along the river.

In July 2024, hundreds of dead fish were recorded along the Yamuna banks near Burari in north Delhi.

DPCC analysis in March found the biological oxygen demand (BOD) at 60 mg/L, twice the safe limit of 30 mg/L. The most polluted section was where the Mungeshpur drain meets the Najafgarh drain, with BOD levels reaching 115 mg/L. DPCC officials did not comment on the latest incident.

Data shared by Delhi’s environment department with the National Green Tribunal-appointed high-level committee on the Yamuna in January 2023 identified the Najafgarh drain as accounting for 68.71% of wastewater discharged into the Yamuna, followed by the Shahdara drain (10.9%) and the Barapullah drain (3.15%).

In July 2022, thousands of fish were found dead along the Najafgarh drain near the Delhi-Haryana border. An inquiry committee later concluded that heavy rainfall caused toxic sediment from the drain bottom to rise, choking the fish and reducing dissolved oxygen levels, a scenario possibly aggravated by untreated waste from upstream drains.