Thick white foam and a foul smell have returned to Delhi's Yamuna River at Kalindi Kunj Ghat, days after the Delhi government claimed the river to be clean and pollution free.

On October 27, during Chhath Puja, the Delhi Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) government had decorated the ghat to attract Bihari voters living in Delhi.

However, nearly 12 days later, when The Wire revisited the Kalindi Kunj Ghat, the scenes at the site were remarkably different. The Yamuna was once again polluted, foaming and a strong stench was emanating from the river, exposing the government's temporary clean-up ahead of the Bihar elections.

A large amount of untreated sewage water is being released into the Yamuna, leading to the formation of a thick layer of white foam on the surface. No such foam was visible near the ghat during Chhath because the Delhi government had sprayed defoaming chemical agents in the water and deployed boats to ensure that the river appeared clean. Now that Chhath Puja is over, the Delhi government’s attention on the issue has waned.

Pollution levels in the river have risen again, and while some boats are still being used to remove the foam, these efforts do not seem to be having an effect.

At present, the cleaning boats work from 9 am to 5 pm. "We are currently cleaning the river from morning till evening. The authorities have instructed us to continue this work until November 15,” Dev, one of the workers operating these boats, told The Wire.

"Before Chhath Puja, we used to work from 6 am till late at night to clean the Yamuna water. But now, after the festival is over, government officials have been told to operate only from 9 am  to 5 pm,” he added.

Ahead of the Chhath Puja last month, the Delhi government had put up large banners and hoardings around the Yamuna Ghat area. For the first time, a walkway was built using paving blocks to facilitate the movement of devotees and a clean space was prepared along the riverbank for people to perform the Chhath rituals. 

Today, the area has once again become dirty and foul-smelling. The riverbed is covered with filth and stench. Lamboji, a local resident, said, "Before the Chhath Puja, the Yamuna water was clean and there was no white foam. The government had made good arrangements for the festival. The ghat area was cleaned and devotees could perform rituals and take a dip without any problem. But now, the water has become polluted again and the entire river is covered with white foam."

The Delhi government’s arrangements at the Yamuna Ghat had created a sense of happiness and satisfaction among many Bihari devotees in Delhi. However, it appears that the government tried to use the festival as an opportunity to appease migrant workers from the poll-bound state living in the capital.

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