Coins and contaminants: How Delhi divers make a living in the polluted Yamuna waterway

In the murky waters of the Yamuna River in New Delhi, a unique community of divers battles pollution and uncertainty to provide for their families, Anadolu Agency reports. 

People on a boat feed seagulls in the Yamuna river engulfed in a thick layer of smog in New Delhi on November 14, 2024.
Photo credit: Anadolu Agency

Among them is Firoz Malik, 60, known as Nabba Gotakhor, an Urdu term for water diver. For the past 20 years, he has dived for coins and remnants thrown by Hindu worshippers as part of religious rituals.

“I make between Rs 200 (about $2.30) and Rs 400 a day, starting at 4 or 5 a.m.,” says Malik, who hails from the nearby city of Aligarh in Uttar Pradesh state.

The Yamuna River is vital to Delhi, providing water to approximately 70% of its population. It also holds deep spiritual significance for Hindus, serving as a sacred site for funeral rites, where ashes and offerings like coins and jewelry are cast into the river.

However, rapid urbanization has turned the Yamuna, which originates from the pristine glaciers of the Himalayas, into one of the most polluted waterways in the world. Factories discharge chemicals, and untreated sewage overwhelms its natural flow.

Toxic foam often covers the river’s surface, while social and religious practices further degrade its purity.

The river, a tributary of the Ganges, flows through India’s northern states, including Haryana and Uttar Pradesh, before merging with the Ganges at Prayagraj.

The stretch in Delhi constitutes only 2% of the river’s total length but contributes up to 80% of its pollution due to poor sewage management.

In 2023, the Delhi government pledged to clean the Yamuna to bathing standards by February 2025, with a five-point action plan focused on clearing main drains and ensuring only treated water enters the river.

Firoz recalls when the water was clean enough to see coins without diving. “Now, with the growing population, the rivers are filled with dirty water from sewers and drains,” he laments.

His work is not limited to collecting coins; he also retrieves bodies from the river — a grim but necessary task for which police often compensate him.

“We are about 100 to 150 divers along this stretch,” he says, acknowledging the camaraderie among those who share this challenging profession. Yet, the job can be unpredictable. Some days, they return empty-handed.

Danny Kumar, 37, another diver with 20 years of experience, echoes Firoz’s sentiments. Hailing from Rae Bareli in Uttar Pradesh, he dives not only for coins but also for valuables, sometimes finding gold and silver. “I earn Rs 700 to Rs 800 a day,” he shares, proud of his ability to provide for his three children through this difficult work.

Both men highlight the challenges of their profession amid increasing pollution. They express frustration over the lack of government assistance, believing little will change without concerted efforts to clean the rivers.

As reported, Bangladesh's capital Dhaka, India's capital New Delhi, and Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam ranked the top three urban areas with the most polluted air globally, according to daily weather data.

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