The Yamuna River in New Delhi, where the Hindu festival Chhath Puja takes place, was covered in white foam resembling snow on November 8.
According to authorities, the phenomenon was caused by sewage and industrial waste discharged into the Yamuna River from upstream the previous week. The pollution disrupted the water supply for part of the city, but it did not prevent some Hindu devotees from immersing themselves in the river to pray to the sun god during the four-day Chhath Puja festival.
A Hindu devotee prays on the Yamuna River despite the pollution foam covering the water’s surface. (Photo: AFP)
“Our team of officers and engineers is working day and night to minimize the impact of water pollution on the people of Delhi,” said Raghav Chadha, Vice Chairman of the city’s water supply agency, in a statement.
The Yamuna is known to be one of the most polluted waterways in India. Authorities have long committed to cleaning the river, but measures taken so far have not been effective. The presence of toxic foam blanketing the river has gradually become an annual occurrence.
A government report from 2020 indicated that the water quality in the Yamuna has deteriorated over the past five years, adding to the pressure on the lives of New Delhi residents, who are already suffering from a thick layer of smog surrounding the city.
Hazardous smog levels in recent days have been attributed to the burning of agricultural land by nearby communities and the fireworks celebration for Diwali by residents of the capital. In some areas, the concentration of PM 2.5 fine particulate matter has exceeded the World Health Organization’s daily safety limit by 16 times.
