Private agency hired to neutralise Yamuna river froth
NEW DELHI: The city government has employed a private agency to neutralise the toxic foam that floats over the Yamuna, an annual phenomenon posing serious threat to human and marine ecology, that often triggers a political blame-game, especially around Chhath Puja.
Sources said that the Delhi Jal Board has floated a tender to defoam the toxic froth floating over the river, especially concerning for the devotees during Chhath Puja who take a dip in the river as a part of the ritual offering. A meeting was called where the tender was floated with a condition that the substance which will be used for the defoaming should be food grade.
Vice Chairperson of Delhi Jal Board (DJB), Somnath Bharti, confirmed the information, saying that the technical tender for the task has been closed. “A few formalities remain. After that, the tender awardee is expected to initiate the exercise immediately,” Bharti said. Officials said that the defoaming exercise is expected to begin from November 16th and will continue till the conclusion of Chhath Puja, over a stretch of 500 meters starting from Kalindi Kunj barrage.
Bharti also said that the board will also implement the measure in the water drainage system if the experiment is successful. “If this exercise turns out to be a success, we will implement it in Najafgarh drain so that a less polluted river is discharged into the Yamuna and the dissolved oxygen level of the river water improves,” he added.
Earlier, L-G VK Saxena wrote to the Chief Minister expressing “concerns” over the toxic foam and pollution in the Yamuna. Saxena asked the government to ensure cleanliness and “sufficient manpower and logistics” in advance at the designated Chhath ghats on Yamuna banks. “The issue regarding foam and pollution in Yamuna is of grave concern and unattended may prove injurious to devotees,” the letter read.