NEW DELHI: Residents and political leaders in New Delhi have raised concerns about pollution after toxic foam was seen floating on the Yamuna River in the Kalindi Kunj area on Friday.
The foam appeared ahead of Chhath Puja, leading authorities to spray chemical defoamers to address it.
BJP leader Shehzad Poonawalla blamed the Delhi government and former chief minister Arvind Kejriwal for the pollution.
“On the next day of Diwali when we are here at Yamuna ghat, we can see a thick layer of foam on the river. The reason behind this foam (on the river) here is the corruption done by Arvind Kejriwal and Aam Aadmi Party. Now before Chhath Puja, they are sprinkling chemical defoamer,” Poonawalla said. He added that Kejriwal is responsible for making Delhi a “gas chamber.”
A team from the Delhi Jal Board has been involved in cleaning operations and spraying chemicals into the river since last week to manage the foam.
Local resident Hareram expressed concern about the impact of pollution on Chhath Puja. “You can see, there is so much pollution here. For Chhath Puja, we’ll now have to think about whether it can even be done here or not,” he told ANI.
On Friday, a thick layer of smog covered parts of Delhi, pushing the city’s air quality into the ‘very poor’ category, according to the Central Pollution Control Board (CPCB).
Most areas recorded an Air Quality Index (AQI) over 350. At around 7 a.m., Anand Vihar recorded an AQI of 395, Aya Nagar at 352, Jahangirpuri at 390, and Dwarka at 376, all posing significant health risks.
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