Yamuna's toxic foam 'gift' to Delhi from UP, Haryana govts

Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) MLA and Delhi Jal Board Vice Chairman Raghav Chadha on Tuesday said that the toxic foam found floating on the Yamuna river was a "gift" to Delhi from the governments in Uttar Pradesh and Haryana. While speaking to ANI, the AAP leader said that the BJP government in Uttar Pradesh and Haryana should be blamed for the toxic foam in the Yamuna river.

"The foam in the Yamuna is at Okhla Barrage area, which comes under Uttar Pradesh irrigation government, it's Uttar Pradesh government's responsibility. But like every year, they failed this year too. The polluted water is not Delhi's, it's a 'gift' to Delhi by Uttar Pradesh and Haryana government," said Chadha. The leader said that about 105 million gallons per day of MGD wastewater from the Yamuna in Haryana and about 50 MGD wastewater from the Ganga in Uttar Pradesh merged into Okhla Barrage and this water had industrial waste, untreated detergents and ammonia that led to the formation of the dirty frothing.

He further said the AAP government had been writing to its counterpart in UP to use irrigation technology and bioculture method. "BJP governments in Uttar Pradesh and Haryana should be blamed for this. Year after year we have written to Uttar Pradesh governments to use irrigation technology, bioculture method, but BJP governments did not pay any heed," the AAP leader added.


Days after Delhi's air quality deteriorated post-Diwali, the Yamuna river in the national capital has been witnessing a thick layer of toxic foam. The capital's water supply has also remained affected since Saturday evening due to a rise in ammonia levels in the Yamuna.