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Yamuna River Facts & Worksheets

The Yamuna River is located in India and is hallowed in Hinduism as a river and as the goddess Yamuna.

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The Yamuna River is located in India and is hallowed in Hinduism as a river and as the goddess Yamuna. Considered the country’s largest tributary and most sacred river, it is also known for its severely populated concentration, which puts the residents that use its water supply at risk.

See the fact file below for more information on the Yamuna River, or you can download our 25-page Yamuna River worksheet pack to utilize within the classroom or home environment.

Key Facts & Information

CHARACTERISTICS AND BRIEF HISTORY

  • The waters of the Yamuna River travel a total length of 1,376 kilometers from the Yamunotri glacier, which merges with the Ganges, a transboundary river that flows through India and Bangladesh. The river will then discharge at Allahabad.
  • Yamunotri is a glacier that is the source of the waters at the Yamuna River. This place is also known for its main attraction, a temple devoted to the goddess Yamuna.
  • The name Yamuna is derived from the Sanskrit word “Yama,” which means “twin.”
  • This meaning could be significant because the river parallels its course with the Ganges.
  • The earliest mention of “Yamuna” can be found in the sacred book of Hinduism, Rig Veda.
  • The history of the Yamuna River was split into three separate arguments, and evidence gathered from the research:
    • Geological Evidence: Yamuna River was a tributary of the Ghaggar River, then became a tributary of the Ganges as it changed its course eastward
    • Tectonic Event: A tectonic event has caused the Sarasvati River to dry up, the creation of the Thar desert, and the end of many Harappan civilization settlements
    • Pleistocene: The diversion of the Yamuna River to the Ganges River happened during the Pleistocene, opposing the relationship between the end of many Harappan civilization settlements
  • Most great Indian empires have based their capital cities and ruled in the basin of the Ganges and Yamuna.
  • Throughout the Gupta Empire, statutes of both the Ganges and Yamuna became common. Images of the Ganges and Yamuna can be seen on the shrines of Chalukyas and included as the royal seals under the Rashtrakutas Empire.
  • The Three River Goddess Shrine also depicts the goddesses Ganges, Yamuna, and Saraswati.

LIVELIHOOD SIGNIFICANCE

  • Tributaries are rivers flowing into a larger river or lake. Yamuna River includes some of its essential tributaries, namely: Tons River (the river’s largest tributary), Hindon River, Ken River, Chambal River, Sindh River, Sasur Khaderi River, and Betwa River.
  • Barrages are used to divert water and to control the amount of water that is passing through. Six barrages serve a function in the Yamuna River currently, namely: Dakpathar Barrage, Hathni Kund Barrage, Wazirabad Barrage, ITO Barrage, Okhla Barrage, and the Gokul Barrage.
  • Yamuna River has also been a habitat for several species of fish, such as catfish, non-native Tilapia, and a variety from the family Cyprinidae, which includes an invasive species of Indian carp. The river also sought a decreasing population of Gharial (Fish-eating crocodiles) and giant Turtles.
  • Yamuna River is important in the country as nearly 57 million people and 70 percent of the water supply in Delhi depend on its resources, especially in the region of Delhi.
  • Nearly 4 Billion cubic meters of water that the river flows annually are being consumed.

RELIGIOUS SIGNIFICANCE

  • Yamuna River is worshipped as the Hindu goddess, Yamuna. It is also called Yami in early texts and Kalindi in later literature texts. Yamuna is the daughter of Sanjna (cloud goddess) and Surya (sun god). 
  • Her siblings are Yama (twin of Yamuna, god of death and justice), Shani (divine personification of the planet Saturn), Tapati (goddess of the river Tapati and mother-goddess of the south), Revanta (youngest child among the family, chief of the Guhyakas), Ashvins (twin brothers, gods of health and medicine), and Vaivasvata Manu (progenitor of the human race).
  • Yamuna also has Krishna, the god of protection, compassion, tenderness, and love, as her consort. Kaliya Daman’s story, the god subdued Kaliya in the waters of Yamuna. Kaliya is a Naga who inhabited the river and terrorized the people of Braja.
  • In India, rivers are worshipped as a mother deity with a distinct identity, history, mythology, culture, value, and spirit.
  • It is believed Yamuna River can take away sin and free one from the torments of death should anyone attempt to drink or bathe in its waters.
  • In the Indian culture, the Ganga, Yamuna, and Saraswati represent the Trimurti, a trinity of supreme divinity in Hinduism.
    • Saraswati is represented by Brahma, the creator.
    • The Yamuna is represented by Vishnu, the sustainer.
    • Ganga is represented by Shiva, the destroyer.
  • The Yamuna River is considered a river of heaven and is one of the seven sacred rivers, along with Ganga, Saraswati, Narmada, Kaveri, Godavari, and Sindhu Rivers.

RISK AND IMPACT

  • The upper Yamuna, which is located from its source at the Yamunotri to the Okhla barrage, is of “reasonably good quality” until flowing down below, where the river becomes severely polluted by the discharge of wastewater in Delhi as it goes through the series of drains between the Wazirabad and Okhla barrages.
  • Because of its polluted content, it is ranked among the most polluted rivers in India and the world. The river’s resources may not be suitable for irrigation or consumption use.
  • The two primary sources of the Yamuna River pollution are domestic and industrial. There are four leading causes of the Yamuna River pollution in Delhi:
    • Poor quality of water released by the effluent treatment plants. 22 of the 35 sewage treatment plants in Delhi failed to satisfy the wastewater standards prescribed by the Delhi Pollution Control Committee.
    • Household and municipal disposal sites. Domestic sources cover about 85 percent of the river’s population in total, which, when left untreated, made its way to the residential neighborhoods in Delhi.
    • Soil erosion because of deforestation activities that were made for agricultural projects.
    • It results in chemical wash-off from products such as pesticides and activities from industrial sites. The river is also polluted with harmful chemicals and compounds such as arsenic and fluoride. Because of the decline of industrial activities after the COVID-19 lockdown, there has been a reported decrease in the pollutant level in the river.
  • Fast industrialization and population growth also played a part in the pollution in the Yamuna River. Its waters were recognized as clear blue in 1909.

ACTIONS: CONSERVATION

  • To assure the citizens of India the right to a healthy environment as inspired by India’s constitutional provision and to establish a special tribunal to handle cases on environmental issues, the National Green Tribunal Act (NGA) 2010 was provided by the Act of the Parliament of India.
    • A 52-kilometer stretch of the Yamuna River in parts of Delhi and Uttar Pradesh was declared a conservation zone by the NGA in April 2014.
  • The Yamuna Action Plan (YAP) is a project that aims to provide sewers, public toilets, and educational activities on environment and hygiene to reduce the amount of pollution in the Yamuna River. There are two phases of the project:
    • Phase I: Initiated in April 1993, the main focus of the project’s first phase includes the construction of pumping stations and sewers as part of the sewerage scheme and the installation of non-sewerage facilities, mini sewage treatment plants, and micro sewage treatment plants.
    • Phase II: Launched in December 2004, several projects, states, and schemes were implemented among places in Delhi, Uttar Pradesh, and Haryana. This includes capacity buildings for the National River Conservation Directorate (NRCD).
    • As of 2019, this project is still ongoing, with an additional phase at cleaning the pollution from the Yamuna River.
  • Several clean-up drive projects and campaigns were also initiated to remove the wastes that contribute to the pollution in the Yamuna River.

Yamuna River Worksheets

This fantastic bundle includes everything you need to know about the Yamuna River across 25 in-depth pages. These ready-to-use worksheets are perfect for teaching kids about the Yamuna River. Yamuna River is located in India and is hallowed in Hinduism as a river and as the goddess Yamuna.

Yamuna River Worksheets
Yamuna River Worksheets
Yamuna River Worksheets

Complete List of Included Worksheets

Below is a list of all the worksheets included in this document.

  1. Yamuna River Facts
  2. Flowing reflection
  3. Pyramid of helping
  4. River-dle
  5. Trip to Yamuna
  6. Knowing Hinduism
  7. Quotes to Yamuna
  8. Mandala Masterpieces
  9. Analysis: Yamuna River
  10. Articles from the River
  11. The Environmentalists

Frequently Asked Questions

Where is the Yamuna River located?

The Yamuna River is a major river in northern India that flows through the states of Uttarakhand, Himachal Pradesh, Haryana, Delhi, and Uttar Pradesh. It is one of the most important tributaries of the Ganges River and a sacred river in Hindu mythology.

What is the length of the Yamuna River?

The Yamuna River is approximately 1,376 kilometers (855 miles) long. It originates from the Yamunotri glacier in the state of Uttarakhand and flows through various states in northern India before merging with the Ganges River in Allahabad, Uttar Pradesh.

What is the significance of the Yamuna River in Hindu mythology?

The Yamuna River holds great religious and cultural significance in Hindu mythology. It is considered to be the sister of the Hindu god Krishna and is often mentioned in Hindu scriptures and epics, such as the Mahabharata and the Bhagavad Gita. The river is associated with many Hindu rituals, festivals, and legends.

What are some environmental challenges facing the Yamuna River?

The Yamuna River faces several environmental challenges, including pollution, encroachment, and over-extraction of water. Industrial and domestic pollution from human activities, as well as dumping of untreated sewage, have severely polluted the river, affecting its water quality and ecosystem. Encroachment and illegal construction along the river banks have also resulted in loss of riverine habitat and floodplain areas.

What efforts are being made to clean and conserve the Yamuna River?

The Indian government and various environmental organizations are undertaking efforts to clean and conserve the Yamuna River. These efforts include measures to control pollution from industries and sewage, restoration of riverine habitat, and promotion of sustainable water management practices. The “Namami Gange” and “Yamuna Action Plan” initiatives are some of the key government-led programs aimed at rejuvenating and restoring the Yamuna River and its ecosystem.

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Link will appear as Yamuna River Facts & Worksheets: https://kidskonnect.com - KidsKonnect, April 13, 2023

Use With Any Curriculum

These worksheets have been specifically designed for use with any international curriculum. You can use these worksheets as-is, or edit them using Google Slides to make them more specific to your own student ability levels and curriculum standards.

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