Toxic Yamuna Pollution Deepens Delhi Water Shortage (Full Transcript)

[00:00:00] Speaker 1: This sacred site for religious rituals has become a dumping ground for waste. The Yamuna River is a holy site to millions, but it also supplies roughly 40% of Delhi's water. And it's covered with toxic foam, currently too contaminated to treat, causing a severe water shortage to the city. And in some parts where residents received limited supply, the water was dirty. The city produces almost no water of its own, relying heavily on neighbouring states to share.

[00:00:43] Speaker 2: The whole fight is about life. And if you will not get the clean water, the clean air, you are going to die.

[00:00:49] Speaker 1: The government is pointing to new sewage treatment plants and clean-up initiatives. But critics think those efforts are just a band-aid that failed to address the root cause. The Delhi Water Board said supply was restored last week. However, some neighborhoods continue to report shortages. Without drastic changes, they say the cycle won't be temporary. It'll become Delhi's permanent reality.

[00:01:11] Speaker 3: More than 30% of Delhi's water consumption comes from Yamuna. If we don't save Yamuna, we won't get drinking water for Delhi.

[00:01:27] Speaker 1: them.