Rapid population growth has incapacitated Delhi’s ability to provide an adequate supply of clean drinking water for the entirety of its population or properly treat the quantity of produced sewage, while aging infrastructure is unable to treat water at full capacity.

Diversion of clean water for drinking and irrigation has significantly reduced the natural flow of the Yamuna and its tributary drains. The limited flow is not able to dilute the level of solid waste and effluents that is released into it, effectively turning the Yamuna into an open sewage drain.