Devotees Celebrate 'Chhath Puja' in Yamuna River Under Covering Of Toxic Foam

Every year, a layer of toxic foam can be seen floating on the surface of the Yamuna river near the Kalindi Kunj area in India’s capital city Delhi. According to scientists, the high level of phosphates causes the foam to build up. Phosphates are used in many detergents which are designed to reduce the surface tension of water.

The presence of toxic foam in the Yamuna river is no novelty and every year, during the Chhath Puja festival, images of devotees standing waist-deep in the river's toxic foam come under the spotlight. This year was no exception as residents of India’s capital city New Delhi rushed this Monday to the river's shore to celebrate the first day of the festival.

Toxic Foam Floating on the Yamuna River.

© Sputnik / Rahul Trivedi

Chhath is an ancient Hindu Vedic festival celebrated in the Indian states of Bihar, eastern Uttar Pradesh, Jharkhand and the Mithila region of Nepal. It is devoted to the sun god Surya and his wife Usha, who is also known as Chhathi Maiya. During Chhath Puja, people thank Lord Surya, the god of energy, for sustaining life on Earth. The rituals, which include holy bathing and standing in water for long periods, last for three days.

However, this year the celebrations were overshadowed by the appearance of huge amounts of white toxic foam on the Yamuna river - water which is considered holy. The hazardous foam was caused by a rise in the level of ammonia in the Yamuna to 3 ppm (parts per million) which indicates the level of pollution in the river.

Sputnik visited the Kalindi Kunj area in Delhi and talked to some devotees about the difficulties they are having in performing the rituals because of the pollution.

Soni Rani, a 30-year-old, said: “For us, Yamuna is pure despite pollution as it is a holy river and washes away all our sins. However, the rising pollution is a concern but we don’t have any option as it is a ritual which has to be performed without fail.”

BJP Parliamentarian Manoj Tiwari Cleans the Banks of the Yamuna River.

© Sputnik / Rahul Trivedi

Another devotee, Alok Kumar, said that the government has failed to keep its promise to clean the Yamuna river. “[Delhi's chief minister] Arvind Kejriwal brought out an action plan to minimise the problems with the river but nothing has happened. Rather than working on cleaning the river, the government announced a ban to celebrate Chhath Puja on the banks of the Yamuna river,” he added.

The Delhi Disaster Management Authority (DDMA) has prohibited the celebration of Chhath Puja on the Yamuna's banks. This has led to a war of words between the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) and Delhi’s ruling Aam Aadmi Party (AAP). However, Chhath celebrations at designated cites apart from on the banks of the Yamuna have been allowed.

BJP parliamentarian Manoj Tiwari also visited the Yamuna river at Kalindi Kunj and took a boat ride on the toxic foam-covered river. He even addressed media and berated the Kejriwal government for its failure to clean the holy river.

BJP Parliamentarian Manoj Tiwari Rides in a Boat on the Foam-Covered Yamuna River.

© Sputnik / Rahul Trivedi

He told Sputnik: “The AAP government banned the Chhath Puja celebrations on the banks of Yamuna river to conceal the rising pollution levels. The situation is extremely worrying and exposes the failures of Arvind Kejriwal.”

He added that the Supreme Court of India should take this matter in hand without waiting for a charge to be brought - suo moto cognisance - and suspend the Delhi government for risking the lives of people of Delhi.

“When Kejriwal became state chief, he promised that he would clean the Yamuna river and people would be able to take a dip in clean water. The Yamuna river caters to the needs of all Delhi's residents and if the state chief has proved unable to fulfill his promise in the past seven years then he has no right to remain at his post,” he added.