Froth covers Yamuna River in Delhi ahead of festive season, posing health hazards

On Friday (October 19, 2024), the Yamuna River in Delhi was covered with a thick layer of white froth, which experts say poses health hazards, especially as the festive season approaches.

Videos circulating on social media show vast sections of the river frothing, resembling clouds over the water, which gradually dissipated later in the day.

Bhim Singh Rawat, associate coordinator of the South Asia Network on Dams, Rivers and People (SANDRP), told sources that normally, the upper segment of the Yamuna experiences significant flood spells, but this year, there was no such spell during the just-concluded southwest monsoon.

The pungent foam contains high levels of ammonia and phosphates, posing serious health risks, including respiratory and skin problems, according to environmental experts.

This kind of foam formation is common when fats from decaying plants and pollutants mix with the water, but its presence during monsoon is surprising, said another expert, attributing the frothing to the absence of flood spells that typically wash away pollutants.