May 5, 2025
NEW DELHI – Once written off as a “dead” river by experts, Hindon, a tributary of the Yamuna, has hopes of coming to life. Long choked by industrial effluents and sewage, the river is now at the centre of an ambitious new effort: to clean the water body not with machines or by diverting its water to treatment plants, but by working with nature right at the site.
The plan is to build in-situ (on-site) wetlands on the drains that flow into the river, where large boulders, cut stone ridges, and microbes dwelling in the roots of wetland plants will work together as natural filters, purifying the water before it reaches the Hindon.
The work of restoration of Hindon and its tributaries is spearheaded by Raman Kant, President Bhartiya Nadi Parishad, an UP-based NGO. He is working closely with communities, scientists, and local authorities to bring the river back from the brink.
River choked along its course
Born in the lush Shivalik Hills of Saharanpur, the Hindon, a rain-fed river, winds its way through the heart of western Uttar Pradesh, passing through Muzaffarnagar, Meerut, Shamli, Baghpat, and Ghaziabad, before finally meeting the Yamuna in Gautam Buddha Nagar.
Along the way, the river picks up mounting loads of human waste and toxic discharge from tanneries, distilleries, sugar mills, and dyeing units—carried through drains that empty directly into it, rendering the water unfit for human use.
Monsoon swells large rivers, and their currents can carry away much of the pollution. In the dry months, even these broader waterways must rely on sewage treatment plants, many of which are under repair or still on the drawing board.
Smaller rivers, in contrast, run dry outside the rainy season.
“When there’s no rain, how do you clean a drain entering smaller rivers at every nook and corner,” Kant asked. “How do you send their water to STPs?”
He believes the answer lies in installing the in-situ wetlands on drains that carry between 0.5 to 2 MLD (million litres of water per day). “These natural filters can make a significant difference in keeping small rivers free of waste,” he added.
Eco-filters at the source
With sewage responsible for nearly 80 percent of the river’s pollution, authorities are championing its revival by tackling contamination at its most manageable sources, unleashing the power of nature.
Drawing on the scientific expertise of C. R. Babu, former Pro-Vice Chancellor of Delhi University and head of its Centre for Environment Management of Degraded Ecosystems, Kant refined his in‑situ wetland design to tackle drain management specifically.
Multiple sections of large, irregular boulders—enclosed in sturdy mesh—form the first barrier against incoming water. As the water tumbles over these rock walls, its flow slows, allowing greater contact with sunlight and air to replenish oxygen levels often depleted by sewage. At the same time, the mesh captures oversized debris, keeping solid waste from moving downstream.
Next, the oxygen‑rich water flows through multiple layers of cut‑stone ridges set in a zigzag pattern, each layer punctuated by local aquatic plants such as arbi, keli, and jhund (traditionally used in making muda furniture). As the water cascades over each ridge, it gains additional aeration, boosting dissolved oxygen levels even further. That extra oxygen jump‑starts billions of microbes living in the plants’ roots; these tiny organisms feed on the carbon‑rich organic matter in the sewage, breaking it down and cleansing the water before it moves on.
Having fine‑tuned every layer of this living filtration system—from mesh‑wrapped boulders to microbe‑powered plant roots—Kant and his team are now ready to move from drawing board to drain.
To turn vision into reality, the first in‑situ wetland will be built on the Sardhana drain in Meerut district—one of the main conduits of waste into the Hindon’s network. This pilot site feeds into Kali West, a small tributary that eventually joins the Hindon.
Starting Monday, Kant will conduct training sessions in Baghpat for Gram Pradhans and secretaries from riverside villages. “These workshops are designed to mobilize grassroots workers and show them exactly how to kick off the restoration work,” he explains.
Once the pilot wetlands prove their worth, identical structures will be rolled out in villages across all seven districts lining the Hindon. Together, this living network of filters could deliver irrigation water that’s up to 90 percent pure, claimed Kant.