Urban Metabolism of River Yamuna in the National Capital Territory of Delhi, India.

Rivers are important source of available fresh water for majority of the world’s population. However the scale and demands of urban growth, especially in developing countries, is now posing the single largest threat to river sustainability across the world. Similarly, rapid pace of urban growth of National Capital Territory (NCT) of Delhi is having deleterious impacts on the water quality of River Yamuna flowing through it. Repeated action plans for reclaiming the riverine ecology of River Yamuna have failed and the river has been reduced to a drain in Delhi. The present research contribution makes an interdisciplinary attempt at studying the impacts of the NCT of Delhi on River Yamuna through an urban metabolism perspective. The paper explores water volume exchanges, water quality modifications and riverfront interactions of River Yamuna with the Delhi city-state. We conclude by highlighting that the NCT of Delhi has high consumption of River Yamuna’s ecosystem services and this needs to be urgently optimized for ensuring sustainable urban development of Delhi.