AP PHOTOS: River and air pollution in Indian capital poses serious threat to residents' health

NEW DELHI (AP) One of India's most sacred rivers, the Yamuna in New Delhi, is covered in toxic white scum, large sections of which foam from pollutants released by industries around the city. Pollution poses a serious threat to the health of residents since the river provides more than half of the Indian capital's water.

New Delhi also has some of the most polluted air in the world every year, and the ongoing festival season is exacerbating the situation. On Tuesday, the air quality index deteriorated to a very poor reading of 273, 18 times higher than levels recommended by the World Health Organization. Tiny PM 2.5 particles can penetrate deep into the lungs and cause illness.

However, Hindu devotees have not abandoned their religious practices in Yamuna. On Tuesday morning, a young couple was part of a group who went to the river, took a swim and then left.

Jasraj, a 70-year-old retired government employee, said he had been visiting the river for bathing ritual since 1980.

“I love the river like a mother, and it doesn't matter whether it's clean or dirty. It’s dirty on the surface but clean below the top,” said Jasraj, who uses one name.

Imran Khan, a student, said one cannot breathe Delhi's polluted air properly.

“People come here for jogging and they also face problems. Our environment should be cleaner,” he said.

Shishupal Kumar, a contractual employee, said people visit the river from distant places to perform religious rituals.

“The river has become completely dirty. It's full of chemicals. Looks like snowfall happened here, like it happens in the mountains,” Kumar said.

The Yamuna, 1,376 kilometers (855 miles) long, is one of the most sacred rivers for Hindus. It is also one of the most polluted countries in the world. Dangerously unsanitary waterways are a concern for many, especially with pollution expected to worsen during the upcoming Chhath Puja, a Hindu festival.

The river has become dirtier over the years as sewage, agricultural pesticides and industrial effluents flow into it, despite anti-pollution laws and the authorities' establishment of dozens of treatment plants .

The government in New Delhi said authorities were using defoamers to solve the problem. Authorities deployed dozens of motorboats to disperse the toxic foam and erected bamboo barricades to keep people away from the river banks.

Officials fear that next month thousands of Hindu worshipers will find themselves knee-deep in its foamy, toxic waters, sometimes even plunging into a holy bath to mark Chhath Puja.

Winters, in particular, have become a time of health concerns in the Indian capital, home to more than 20 million people. In winter, the city is covered in a toxic haze that darkens the sky. Pollution levels are soaring as millions of Hindus celebrate Diwali, the festival of light, amid massive firecracker emissions. Diwali will be celebrated on Thursday.

Farmers in neighboring agricultural regions also burned their land after harvest in order to clear it for the next agricultural season.

Earlier this month, India's Supreme Court criticized northern Indian states for failing to take stricter action against people burning crop residues ahead of the winter season and thereby worsening air pollution in the country. the region.

Every year, authorities close construction sites, limit diesel-powered vehicles and deploy water sprinklers and anti-smog guns to control the haze and smog that shroud the capital region's skyline.

___

Video journalist Piyush Nagpal contributed to this report from New Delhi.

Copyright 2024 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed without permission.

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