Expert declares India's sacred waterway 'dead’ as toxic foam engulfs its surface

The Manila Times

Expert declares India's sacred waterway 'dead’ as toxic foam engulfs its surface  An environmentalist declared the Yamuna River 'completely dead' on Sunday, October 20, citing its barren aquatic landscape and the choking toxic froth that now blankets its surface.  The Yamuna River, a revered waterway for Hindus, presented a disturbing image on Sunday, as videos showed its surface covered by a dense, frothy foam, choking the heart of the Indian capital.  "Yamuna's water is black throughout the year minus the months when it actually rains,” said Vimlendu Jha, an Indian environmentalist and Executive Director of Swechha India, an organization dedicated to raising awareness on pollution in Yamuna River.  ANI / REUTERS VIDEO  Subscribe to The Manila Times Channel - https://tmt.ph/YTSubscribe  Visit our website at https://www.manilatimes.net    Follow us:  Facebook - https://tmt.ph/facebook  Instagram - https://tmt.ph/instagram  Twitter - https://tmt.ph/twitter  DailyMotion - https://tmt.ph/dailymotion    Subscribe to our Digital Edition - https://tmt.ph/digital    Check out our Podcasts:  Spotify - https://tmt.ph/spotify  Apple Podcasts - https://tmt.ph/applepodcasts  Amazon Music - https://tmt.ph/amazonmusic  Deezer: https://tmt.ph/deezer  Tune In: https://tmt.ph/tunein   #TheManilaTimes  #worldnews  #india  #sacredwaters

Transcript

00:00We're having a lot of froth floating on its surface, and this is not for the first time.

00:22We've actually seen it several times.

00:23In fact, throughout the year, there's froth in the river, and it's an absolute travesty

00:27of environmental governance in Delhi.

00:30You know, there are many causes, and the causes of that pollution is actually known, because

00:33there are sources, there are industrial sewage that is actually dumped into the river without

00:38treatment, there's a lot of municipal waste, almost 3,500 million litres of waste that

00:42is actually dumped into the river every day.

00:44But primary responsibility of Yamuna's pollution is Delhi's own pollution, the 17 drains that

00:49actually empty into Yamuna in Delhi is the main cause.

00:53And the froth is only an indication of the kind of chemicals, the kind of froth, the

00:57kind of effluents that actually is dumped through municipal sources, as well as through

01:02industrial sources.

01:03The river only froths a lot on a few days, but actually froths throughout.

01:08Yamuna's water is black throughout the year, minus the months when it actually rains.

01:12So, you know, the pollution gets visible on some occasions, like what has been happening

01:17for the last couple of days, but the river is literally dead throughout the year.

01:21Water quality of Yamuna is completely E-class, as an as per Central Pollution Control Board,

01:26the water quality is not even fit for animal bathing, it's only fit for industrial cooling.

01:30If you look at the froth, and there's also fumes, there's methane coming out of the river

01:34at various occasions, a completely dead river with no aquatic life, the coliform levels

01:39are actually high, there's hardly any dissolved oxygen in the river, all the parameters of

01:45a safe surface water, of a safe river, that goes for a toss when it comes to river Yamuna.

01:50Yamuna is one of the most polluted rivers, and it's been polluted, and has stayed polluted

01:54for more than a decade and a half, or two decades for that matter, and still, we have

01:59not really seen any kind of political will or political urgency to solve this crisis.

02:04It has a direct impact on people who actually go and bathe in the river.

02:07We have Chhat Pooja coming, and there'll be lakhs of people who'll actually be taking

02:11a holy dip in the river.

02:13Such toxic water, when it comes in contact with skin, has harmful impact, of course there

02:19are skin disorders, to breathing disorders, to also cancer-related issues that perhaps

02:24can happen.

02:25So it is not just an environmental concern, but it's also a public health concern that

02:30river Yamuna actually poses for citizens of Delhi.

02:33Delhi Pollution Control Committee needs to be more active, it's understaffed, Delhi government

02:38has to be more proactive, as in they keep allocating resources, but we don't really

02:43know where those resources are going.

02:45This is the primary responsibility of Delhi Jal Board, both drinking water supply as well

02:49as the sewage management is the responsibility of Delhi Jal Board, which comes directly under

02:54Delhi government, and I think it's very important that they actually take concrete steps to

02:58curb it.

02:59We will have to have a short-term, medium-term and long-term plan.

03:01We can't just say, we can't always claim helplessness, because if you start moving, if you know that

03:08there are polluting industries, if you know that your sewage treatment plants and effluent

03:12treatment plants are not really efficient and effective, then you need to do something

03:16about it very, very soon.

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