Month after govt’s Chhath ‘clean-up’ claims, Yamuna is toxic white again

Pollution levels in Delhi’s Yamuna have risen again, with toxic foam reappearing near Kalindi Kunj. This comes despite the Delhi government’s tall claims during Chhath Puja that the river had been cleaned – a claim we challenged in an earlier report.

On the morning of October 28, the water at Kalindi Kunj looked clear. But when Newslaundry returned to the Yamuna nearly 20 days after Chhath, the water looked darker and the river was covered in froth. To control the foam, the government is repeatedly deploying defoaming chemicals. Seven boats were spraying these chemicals at Kalindi Kunj, and water sprinklers had been installed in the river to disperse them further.

Despite these apparent efforts, the underlying reality remains unchanged. Delhi continues to release 641 million litres of untreated sewage into the Yamuna every day. 

In this report, we once again travelled along the river from Wazirabad to Kalindi Kunj to document what we saw. Newslaundry also visited Vasudev Ghat, where a separate pond was created beside the Yamuna Ghat. Although the pond still exists, its appearance has changed.

Watch.

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