Toxic foam blankets Yamuna on Her Birthday

2023.03.28 (Vrindavan Today News): On the occasion of Yamuna Prakatyotsava, the annual festival celebrating the appearance of the Holy Yamuna river, shocking images of toxic foam floating on the surface of the river have emerged. The photos were clicked by Pandit Amit Bhardwaj, Braj Region’s General Secretary of Teerth Purohit Mahasangh, who shared them on Twitter and tagged Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath.

Crores of rupees have been spent on efforts to make the Yamuna pollution-free and prevent chemical waste from industries and drains from entering the river. The government and administration have claimed to have taken measures to address the issue, but the reality seems to be quite the opposite. Instead of pollution levels reducing, they appear to be increasing.

The usual cleaning and release of excess water that takes place before the festival were not carried out this year, which worsened the already dire state of the river. The river’s polluted state was clearly visible, with dirty water and thick foam covering its surface. Devotees were left outraged upon witnessing the contaminated water between Swami Ghat and Bengali Ghat, with some resorting to cursing the local administration.

The situation was even worse at the Gokul Barrage, where a thick layer of foam covered the surface of the river. The foam, caused by the release of chemical waste, appeared as if a sheet of ice had been spread over the river.