<h2>Overview</h2>
<p>The <span class="key-term" data-definition="Supreme Court of India — apex judicial body responsible for interpreting the Constitution and ensuring the rule of law (GS2: Polity)">Supreme Court</span> has set up a high‑level committee to prepare a comprehensive <span class="key-term" data-definition="Yamuna Action Plan — proposed comprehensive strategy to clean the Yamuna River, similar to the Namami Gange programme (GS3: Environment)">Yamuna Action Plan</span>. The committee is headed by the <span class="key-term" data-definition="Union Home Secretary — senior bureaucrat heading the Ministry of Home Affairs, often acts as a nodal officer for inter‑state coordination (GS2: Polity)">Union Home Secretary</span> and includes the <span class="key-term" data-definition="Chief Secretary — senior‑most civil servant of a state, responsible for administration and policy implementation (GS2: Polity)">Chief Secretaries</span> of all states and Union Territories through which the Yamuna flows. They have been given **eight weeks** to submit a plan that will address the river’s severe pollution, which affects over **57 million** residents of the National Capital Region.</p>
<h3>Key Developments</h3>
<ul>
<li>Bench of Justices <strong>Manoj Misra</strong> and <strong>Manmohan</strong> ordered the committee to draft a detailed action plan.</li>
<li>The court expressed grief that the Yamuna has become “little more than a sewage canal”.</li>
<li>It emphasized the need for a single, integrated strategy akin to the <span class="key-term" data-definition="Namami Gange — flagship government programme for cleaning the Ganga River, serving as a model for river rejuvenation (GS3: Environment)">Namami Gange</span> programme.</li>
<li>The plan must specify objectives, implementation strategy, agency roles, budget allocations, and timelines, with coordination entrusted to a single authority.</li>
<li>The court’s <span class="key-term" data-definition="Amicus curiae — ‘friend of the court’, an independent expert who assists the court with information and suggestions (GS2: Polity)">amicus curiae</span>, senior advocate K. Parameshwar, suggested inclusion of city‑wise effluent data, industry types, geo‑tagged sewage‑treatment infrastructure, and real‑time water‑quality uploads.</li>
</ul>
<h3>Important Facts</h3>
<p>The Yamuna’s degradation is driven by illegal industrial discharges, untreated sewage from unauthorised settlements, and encroachments on the riverbed. Multiple agencies have been working in isolation, leading to non‑functional drainage, storm‑water, and effluent‑treatment systems. The court warned that “hard decisions” such as removal of encroachments, closure of illegal industries, and relocation of unauthorised colonies are unavoidable and require coordinated action by the Union, states, and UTs.</p>
<h3>UPSC Relevance</h3>
<p>Understanding this case helps aspirants link environmental governance with constitutional and administrative law. It illustrates the role of the <strong>Supreme Court</strong> in directing policy implementation (GS2), the importance of inter‑governmental coordination (GS2), and the challenges of river‑rejuvenation programmes like <strong>Namami Gange</strong> (GS3). The case also underscores the impact of pollution on public health, agriculture, and urban livelihoods—key topics in GS3 and GS4.</p>
<h3>Way Forward</h3>
<p>The committee must submit the draft by the **early August 2026** deadline, after which the court will review progress on **8 August 2026**. Successful implementation will require:</p>
<ul>
<li>Clear allocation of financial resources and timelines.</li>
<li>Establishment of a single monitoring authority.</li>
<li>Strict enforcement against illegal discharges and encroachments.</li>
<li>Regular public disclosure of water‑quality data.</li>
<li>Active participation of civil society and local communities.</li>
</ul>
<p>Only a coordinated, long‑term approach can restore the Yamuna to a livable state for millions of citizens.</p>
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