Delhi CM promises devotees a froth-free Yamuna this Chhath
New Delhi: Delhi Chief Minister Rekha Gupta on Thursday said that women observing the Chhath festival this year will be able to offer prayers to the Sun God in the Yamuna River free from filth and froth.
She asserted that her government's measures have significantly improved the river's condition.
The Aam Aadmi Party (AAP), however, accused the BJP-led government of "double standards", alleging that it was now using the same chemicals to remove froth from the Yamuna that it had earlier criticised when the AAP was in power.
Inspecting preparations for Chhath at the Kalindi Kunj Ghat riverfront ahead of the festival from October 25-28, Gupta said, "This is the same place where, under the AAP government, devotees had to stand in polluted, froth-filled water to offer prayers. Now, under the BJP government's efforts, you can see clean water flowing in the Yamuna. There is no filth or foam."
She said that her government has removed between 25,000 and 35,000 metric tonnes of silt from Delhi's drains, upgraded sewage treatment plants (STPs), and tapped every drain to prevent sewage discharge into the river.
"This time, women holding the Chhath fast will offer 'arghya' to the Sun God in clean Yamuna water. They will not face any filth or froth," Gupta said.
Addressing a press conference, AAP's Delhi unit chief Saurabh Bharadwaj said, "In 2022, Parvesh Verma, then a BJP MP, manhandled a Delhi Jal Board officer and accused the Kejriwal government of poisoning the Yamuna with this chemical. Now, as minister of the same department, his own ministry is using the same chemical."
AAP leader also shared a video on X purportedly showing froth on the river, claiming, "The BJP considers the people of Delhi to be fools."
According to an official statement from the Chief Minister's Office, the dissolved oxygen level in the Yamuna is now 4 milligrams per litre — sufficient for aquatic life — while the phosphate level, the main cause of froth, has dropped to 0.2. Gupta said the defoamers being used are "eco-friendly and certified", adding that "these chemicals are completely safe for the environment and aquatic organisms."
"Some people are trying to spread misleading information using old videos," she said.
"But this year, devotees will see a cleaner, living Yamuna. This time, both Diwali and Chhath will be grand," she added.
Chhath, celebrated six days after Diwali, holds special significance for the Purvanchali community in Delhi. The three-day festival sees women fasting and offering prayers to the setting and rising sun with cow milk and Ganga water as ‘arghya’.
