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Polluted Yamuna Waters Pose Health Risks
14 Nov
Summary
- None of Delhi's seven major Yamuna Chhath ghats meet bathing water standards.
- Upstream ghats are less polluted but still fall short of safety limits.
- Downstream ghats show dangerously high levels of faecal coliform bacteria.
Thousands of devotees are set to immerse themselves in the Yamuna River for Chhath Puja, but an analysis of pollution data shows none of the seven major ghats in Delhi meet the required bathing water standards. The ghats upstream of Wazirabad, including Shyam Ghat and Sonia Vihar, exhibit lower pollution levels, with biochemical oxygen demand (BOD) between 2-4 mg/L and faecal coliform within permissible limits. However, even these locations fall short of the ideal standards.
Below Wazirabad, the Yamuna's water quality deteriorates sharply. BOD levels surge from 4 mg/L to 30 mg/L, and faecal coliform counts skyrocket from 1,300 to 35,000. Ghats like Vasudev Ghat and Nigambodh Ghat are found to be the most polluted, with faecal coliform levels 14 times the maximum permissible limit. This extensive pollution poses a significant risk of infections for devotees.
