On the first day of Chhath Puja, devotees gathered at the Yamuna river to take a dip in the water that was covered with a thick layer of toxic foam near Kalindi Kunj on Monday morning, November 8.Â
As people completed their ritual, many seemed disappointed. “Taking a dip in the river has significance in Chhath Puja. I have come here but the water is dirty. It is causing a lot of problems for us. Diseases can also happen due to this. But we are helpless. The cleanliness of water and ghats is much better in Bihar. Delhi government should make sure that the ghats are cleaned,” said a devotee.Â
#WATCH | People take dip in Yamuna river near Kalindi Kunj in Delhi on the first day of #ChhathPuja in the midst of toxic foam pic.twitter.com/uMsfQXSXnd
— ANI (@ANI) November 8, 2021
Another said, “The water is extremely dirty, but what we can do? We have to take our bath. I am from Banka, Bihar. The water in Sultanganj is really good. But we had to come here since our family lives here.”
As per a local resident, who is also a diver, the foam has been there on the river for a month. “I am a diver and have been living here for the last 25 years. People bathe using soaps and shampoos and wash their clothes too. Water from every household and water from drains is coming here. This results in the formation of the foam. This foam has been forming in the river for a month,” he said.Â
According to experts, the toxic foam is due to high phosphate content following the discharge of industrial pollutants including detergents into the river. Ammonia levels in the river have also been increasing.
The Chhath Puja is dedicated to the Sun God and is mainly observed by the people from Bihar, Jharkhand and bordering areas in eastern Uttar Pradesh. As per the Hindu tradition, devotees worship the Sun God and his wife Usha to express gratitude and seek their blessings. Devotees gather and take a holy dip in rivers, ponds, and other water bodies during the four-day festivities.
