The Yamuna River on the first day of Chhath Puja received ritual baths from devotees despite being highly polluted in areas such as Delhi’s Kalindi Kunj, where its surface was covered by thick toxic foam. Surroundings with visible pollution and submerged immersions by devotees bring into question public health and safety. Chhath Puja, a four-day Hindu festival to the sun god, is an activity performed with deep religious zeal, especially in Delhi among the community of Purvanchalis.
The practice of ritual bathing is slowly being initiated by followers who are devout by immersing themselves in the polluted Yamuna, which has brought into limelight ongoing issues related to pollution in one of India’s most important rivers and also brought to light health risks in respect of followers who participate in rituals of bathing in it. Yamuna River pollution has been an ever-going issue for years. Untreated industrial effluent and sewage have turned the thick, frothy layering of toxic foam evident during the colder periods of the year.
Health Risks: Amidst the rituals
On Tuesday, devotees of Chhath Puja saw the first day of that festival called “Nahay-Khay.” From this day, the ritual of bathing starts. The traditional acts include taking ritual baths. Devotees wear neat clothes, washed and prepared well in advance for this bath. Food is also made as an offering. “Chana daal” and “kaddoo bhaat” are both made and distributed later in the form of prasad. This bath is viewed as a sacred act-the act of purification and refreshment. However, the toxic foam at the river’s surface has been a concern toward health issues for people having direct contact with the water.
According to experts, exposure to the toxic chemicals in Yamuna can cause respiratory illness, irritation of skin, and other health disorders, which will be mainly affecting old-aged people and children. Nevertheless, most the devotees proceeded with their purification rituals despite these warnings as Chhath Puja is significant from the cultural and religious perspectives for Purvanchali community members in Delhi. The festival is also highly culturally relevant for the Bhojpuri-speaking natives of erstwhile Uttar Pradesh, Bihar, and Jharkhand states.
Political Tensions Flare As Chhath Puja Preparations Kick In
Pollution in Yamuna and preparations by the government for Durga Puja have sparked a political row between the ruling AAP and the opposition BJP. Both parties are in sight of the Purvanchali community, which constitutes 30-40% of Delhi’s voter base, just months ahead of the city’s assembly elections scheduled for early next year.
Delhi’s AAP government has been at loggerheads with the BJP over “failing to prepare well the river ghats as people died in the current festival.” Opposition leaders criticized that the state government should have made better efforts to clear up the Yamuna and get more safe conditions for worshipping. Meanwhile, AAP officials accused the BJP of politicizing the issue and alleged that the party was not taking any action against pollution in the Yamuna, which is a long-standing problem that requires multi-level governance.
The Delhi government had especially allocated certain areas on Yamuna banks for Chhath Puja celebration which, in turn ensured that provision of barriers and safety equipments was made. This egregious pollution in the river brings back to the memory once again the monumental difficulties undertaken to maintain quality waters at such a crowded place which has slowly ruined the once pristine beauty of the river by industrial wastes, untreated sewerage, and other forms of agricultural runoff.
Public Health Issues and Environmental Effects
The health implications of bathing in Yamuna have been a source of concern for public health officials. Toxic foam blankets parts of the river marred by this toxic foam. Major components of the toxic foam include phosphates and surfactants from industrial wastes, detergents, and untreated sewage. All these have been associated with skin irritations, respiratory problems, and gastrointestinal problems.
Despite all these warnings, the worshippers continued with the performance of their religious functions. Most of them declare that they have no other choice but to bathe in the Yamuna in the course of discharging their religious duties. The situation underscores problems for government and religious leaders to balance religious activities against considerations on public health issues.
Environmental experts feel that although these short-term solutions like building bathing zones and setting up barricades might alleviate the immediate health threats, long-term remedies for Yamuna’s pollution will be better sewage treatment facilities, implementing rules on industrial waste disposal, and curbing agricultural runoff.
The Delhi government has agreed to host the Chhath Puja celebrations at a place which has been chosen for building the new bridge over the Yamuna river.
With Chhath Puja considered to be of sacred importance, the Government of Delhi declared November 7 as a public holiday since the devotees required time to stringently follow all the guidelines of the festival. Public holidays are now an endorsement to the people for acknowledgement of the significance of Chhath Puja for the Purvanchalites of Delhi and, more importantly, to afford the people sufficient time to prepare for the fair as is necessary.
Besides declaring the holiday, the Delhi government had prepared for other facilities at ghats on Yamuna River also like cleaning stations, lights, and safety barricades. But it has come under heavy criticism for failing to act in time and tackle the problems of Yamuna pollution before the festival.
Sustainable Solutions to Yamuna River
Pollution in the Yamuna remains a complex issue, which requires long-term environmental planning and implementation of policies. The spectacle of devotees immersing themselves in polluted waters has created public awareness of the necessity of sustainable solutions to river pollution.
From now on, the state and central government agencies, industrial stakeholders, and environmental groups will have to work together effectively towards redressing the pollution in the Yamuna. Some of the measures that experts believe could contribute towards a cleaner, healthier Yamuna River include better waste management, stronger enforcement of the regulation of pollution, and investments made into infrastructure for sewage treatment.
The Yamuna, in turn, makes for a rather stark reminder of how urgent the environmental policies are that simultaneously balance the health of the public and religious and cultural observances.
For those performing Chhath Puja, the polluted Yamuna serves as both sacred and the symbol of the challenge of environmental degradation in India’s urban centers.
Source: SGS