Activists expose corruption, inaction in Yamuna cleanup efforts
Despite personal risks and no institutional support, they have spent years identifying polluting units, inspecting sewage treatment plants (STPs) and pursuing legal action to push authorities into taking meaningful steps.
A one-man crusade
Varun Gulati, 41, has been waging a near one-man battle against industrial pollution in Delhi since 2018. Armed with a drone borrowed from a friend, Google Maps, and legal perseverance, Gulati says he has identified and reported hundreds of illegal dyeing and chemical units operating without waste treatment facilities.
'There are 27 such areas in Delhi where industries operate in 70% of the space, but not one has a CETP (Common Effluent Treatment Plant),' he says. 'Each of these units releases 5 to 10 lakh litres of untreated waste—containing sulphate, ammonia, phosphate—into the Yamuna every single day.'
Gulati claims he has managed to get around 700 polluting units sealed over the years—but not without struggle. 'Officials often warn factory owners in advance. By the time an inspection is carried out, the unit is already shut. Then they report there's no violation,' he says.
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