Toxic foam covered the river that runs through India's capital

A woman prevents her child from stepping into the Yamuna River, covered in toxic foam, nov. 17, in New Delhi, India. Image source Visual China

Comprehensive compilation of Wang Zi

As people dressed in festive costumes walked toward the banks of the Yamuna River, the voices in the loudspeaker repeatedly admonished: "Don't let your children get into the water, don't let go of their hands." ”

The warning was necessary for residents of India's capital, New Delhi, because industrial waste and toxic foam covered the river and "the river was barely visible.".

"You might mistakenly think it was a morning after a night of heavy snow." The New York Times wrote.

As the longest tributary of the Ganges, the Yamuna River has a special significance, according to India Express. Whenever India enters the month of November, when the festival "piles up", tens of thousands of people flock to the riverbank to pray, fast, and walk into the water to "purify" themselves.

But the Yamuna River cannot "purify" the severe environmental pollution.

"The festive season in November is accompanied by unwelcome reminders that the water and air around the city are devastatingly polluted. The Yamuna River is one of the capital's main water sources, carrying too much garbage in its 21-kilometer stretch through the city that it is unsafe for both bathing and irrigation. The New York Times said that to address the "embarrassing pollution," the local government used bamboo barriers to stop the foam from spreading, sprinkling water into the river with water pipes.

"What are you doing?" A media reporter asked a government employee.

"I'm spraying water to wipe out the bubble." He replied.

Toxic foam, polluted air and government warnings about the outbreak can't stop people from dragging their families to the festival. The tractors came, the big trucks came. In the taxi window on the shore, a line of sugar cane offerings that could not be squeezed into the car was stretched out. Some wore brightly colored sarees, some wore crisp suits, many went barefoot, and others brought stereos powered by car batteries.

Kieran Devi has been fasting for 3 days, but she is in a good mood because "as long as you get in the water, your body will get better". When people go down the river, they use their hands or sticks to blow away the foam, but they can't avoid the stench in the air.

"It would be great if they (the government) could improve the situation. Even if they don't, what can we do? "The days have to go by, and we still have to enjoy life." ”

The Yamuna River forms the dividing line between Delhi and Uttar Pradesh, complicating pollution control. For decades, the Indian government has spent hundreds of millions of dollars to clean up the river, with little success. Avenash Mishra, a senior adviser on soil and water resources in the Modi government, said the authorities had failed to tackle the problem of river pollution for decades, in part because of red tape and "kicking the ball" between states and agencies. He warned that water problems and water-borne infectious diseases could have "dire consequences" for an already slowing economy.

According to the Indian government, Indian cities produce about 60.56 million cubic meters of sewage every day, of which less than half is treated and most of the rest flows into rivers. New Delhi can treat about two-thirds of the region's sewage, but the city is overwhelmed by population growth, with large amounts of sewage and untreated industrial waste being discharged into the Yamuna River.

The river is the source of a large part of the local drinking water. The river is relatively clean before it reaches the city, and after that it is filled with waste.

"We took everything [from the Yamuna River], and in return we returned the sewage." Sushmita Sengupta, a geologist at the Center for Science and the Environment in New Delhi, said.

But by the river, there is no worrying look in sight, and it is full of festive atmosphere. Children threw firecrackers at each other's feet, young people were busy broadcasting the festivities live, and people posing for selfies were everywhere. Many people picked up the bubble and pretended it was a cloud of snow. Tattooists and vendors selling ice cream or balloons work near tea stalls.

Unfortunately, the celebration did not end with a dramatic climax. People wait for the morning sun to sprinkle golden light and bring good luck, but in the polluted air, the sunrise is not visible at all.

"We ruined the sunrise too." The driver, Jaha, said.

CNN refers to Indian air as the "silent killer." "A silent killer is strangling the Indian capital. People have no choice but to inhale it into the body. CNN said new Delhi always made the list of "the world's most polluted cities." Locals are used to bad air, and many say they barely notice it.

There are also many people who say that the air makes them sick. At a busy intersection, a 48-year-old traffic police officer told CNN that the levels of pollution this winter were unbearable. "I took off my mask or I wouldn't have been able to blow the whistle to direct traffic. But it's terrible. "Rows of vehicles passed by him, spewing out exhaust." My eyes hurt and my breathing was hard. It's so uncomfortable! He said.

"When you leave the house in the morning, [air pollution] is the first thing that hits you." Nilam Josh, a 39-year-old social worker, said that after one day, her body seemed to adapt to the pollution, but the next day, everything started again. "In the 6 years I have lived in New Delhi, the pollution situation has never improved. It is deteriorating every year, reaching a new height every year. During the holiday season, things always get worse. ”

"Living in New Delhi is very dangerous." Amalprit Kaul, a 28-year-old flight attendant, said, "I've been coughing. After recently returning from a flight from the United States, she was shocked by the difference in air quality. The smog is so severe that you can even see the halo formed around the street lights and car headlights at night.

According to a recent study by the Energy Policy Institute at the University of Chicago, "everyone in India's 1.3 billion population endures pollution levels that exceed those set by the World Health Organization"; polluted air could reduce the life expectancy of hundreds of millions of Indians by 9 years.

CNN reported on Nov. 24 that data from air monitoring network IQAir showed that nine of the 10 most polluted cities in the world last year were in India.

Source: China Youth Daily client