Ganga-to-Yamuna Water Diversion Plan Faces Objections from Uttar Pradesh | 05 Dec 2025

Why in News? 

A plan to divert Ganga water into the Yamuna to increase river flow and dilute pollution in Delhi has hit a roadblock, after the Uttar Pradesh (UP) government raised concerns, mainly related to farmers and engineering feasibility. 

Key Points 

• Objective of the Plan: To release ~500 cusecs of Ganga water from the Upper Ganga Canal (UGC) into the Delhi stretch of Yamuna. 
  • Purpose: increase flow, reduce pollution — part of the promise to clean the Yamuna. 
• Proposed Route: Since Upper Ganga Canal (UGC is not directly connected to Yamuna.  
  • The plan is to divert water from UGC → Eastern Yamuna Canal (EYC) via an existing channel. Then EYC → Yamuna. 
  • The water diverted from the UGC to the EYC has to pass through three districts of U.P. 
• Ganga-Yamuna River System 
  • Origin: The system begins in the Uttarakhand Himalayas, with the Ganga rising from the Gangotri Glacier and its largest tributary, the Yamuna, originating from the Yamunotri Glacier. 
  • Course & Confluence: These rivers flow parallel across northern India, creating the highly fertile Ganga-Yamuna Doab, before merging at the sacred Triveni Sangam in Prayagraj. 
  • Significance: Together, they sustain the Indo-Gangetic Plain, supporting millions of people through agriculture and serving as the spiritual lifeline of Indian civilization.