As the winter and festival season is approaching, the persistent problems of toxic foam in Yamuna and Delhi-NCR's deteriorating air quality are making their way back to the region leading to growing concern about public and animal health.
With the winter season approaching, a thick layer of smog has engulfed Delhi and its neighboring regions, leading to continuous deterioration of air quality. River Yamuna also is again seen covered in a thick layer of toxic white foam, a condition which arises every year around this time and has been a persistent concern for years now.
The Air Quality Index (AQI) in Delhi was recorded at 273 on Saturday morning, placing it in the 'Poor' category. At the same time, the AQI in the NCR including Ghaziabad and Noida was recorded at 246 and 228 respectively.
Certain areas within Delhi showed more alarming numbers, where the AQI soared to 'Very Poor' levels. Those areas include Akshardham and Anand Vihar which reported an AQI of 334, with AIIMS and nearby regions reaching 253. India Gate, typically a focal point for air quality readings, showed an AQI of 251.
Following the growing concern, Delhi’s Environment Minister Gopal Rai held an emergency meeting on Friday and said that the air quality is worsening as winter approaches. He urged the local authorities to pinpoint sources contributing to the pollution. He identified 13 hotspots in the capital where AQI levels have crossed 300, with Wazirpur reporting the most severe readings.
"Winter is coming and the level of air pollution is increasing. The level has reached the poor category in Delhi. There are 13 hotspots in Delhi where AQI has crossed 300- Wazirpur, Mundka, Rohini, Jahangirpuri, Anand Vihar, Dwarka Sector-8, Bawana, Narela, Vivek Vihar, Okhla Phase 2, Punjabi Bagh, Ashok Vihar and RK Puram. The AQI level was highest in Wazirpur," Rai said in a press conference.
Minister Rai also criticized the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) for their remarks against the Aam Aadmi Party's (AAP) pollution management, claiming that the opposition has no basis for criticism while neglecting action in their states including UP, Haryana, Rajasthan and at the Centre.
Toxic foam floating on River Yamuna
Along with rising air pollution, the toxic foam that has appeared on the Yamuna River is also alarming for authorities raising serious health concerns. Environmental experts have warned that this foam, laden with ammonia and phosphates, poses risks such as respiratory and skin issues.
Since the festivals approaching, especially Chhath Puja in which devotees perform rituals in Yamuna, experts are calling for quick actions taken to curb the situation. Currently, Stage I of the Graded Response Action Plan (GRAP) is active across the Delhi-NCR region to tackle rising pollution levels.
The AAP government said that officials are actively monitoring the situation and deploying defoamers to manage the frothing in the river. "Officials have already begun sprinkling defoamers to tackle the issue and the government is actively taking steps to manage and resolve the situation," the party said.
"Monitoring the timings of the barrage gates' opening and providing regular updates to higher authorities," the state government said further assuring that government engineers have been assigned to monitor the operations at the Okhla and Agra Canal barrages. The assigned engineers are asked to keep updating the condition every two hours by uploading photos of the Yamuna downstream at Kalindi Kunj.