As devotees in Delhi gathered to celebrate the annual Chhath Puja festival, a disturbing sight unfolded on the banks of the Yamuna River. A viral video showed worshippers immersing themselves in the polluted river, their ritual bath and hair washing taking place amidst a thick layer of toxic foam.
Toxic foam covers Yamuna during Chhath Puja
The Chhath Puja festivities began on Tuesday with the ‘Nahay Khaye’ ritual, where devotees traditionally offer prayers in the river. However, this year, the Yamuna’s surface at the Kalindi Kunj area was covered in a concerning layer of foam, a stark reminder of the river’s ongoing pollution crisis.
“We want cleanliness at the ghat for Chhath Puja. If nothing happens, our only demand is that we will come here day after tomorrow to clean Chhath Ghats,” said one of the devotees, as reported by news agency PTI.
What is Chhath Puja?
Chhath Puja is a significant festival celebrated in states such as Bihar, Jharkhand, and Uttar Pradesh, where the worship of the sun god is observed through a rigorous four-day routine. On the first day, devotees take a dip in a holy river, often bringing Ganges water home for rituals. The subsequent days involve fasting, preparing prasad, and offering prayers to the setting and rising sun.
The troubling scenes captured on video have raised health concerns for the devotees who continue their age-old traditions in the face of the Yamuna’s worsening pollution levels, highlighting the urgent need for environmental interventions to protect the river and safeguard the well-being of the communities that depend on it.
