Chhath Puja: Despite politics over Yamuna, Delhi stretch of river continues to be polluted

New Delhi Despite the political slugfest over the Yamuna during yet another Chhath Puja, official data show that the river’s Delhi stretch remains heavily polluted for most of the year, with water quality improving during the monsoon, when floodwaters flush out pollutants. According to official data, the faecal coliform level (microbes from human and animal excreta) in the Yamuna at Asgarpur, where the river leaves the Capital, was 660 times the Central Pollution Control Board (CPCB) desirable limit for bathing water quality in May, before the monsoon. The water quality improved in September, as it does every year after the monsoon. The Delhi government has yet to make the October data public. Religious significance The Yamuna holds religious significance for people from Purvanchal (residents of eastern Uttar Pradesh and Bihar), who constitute a significant voter base in Delhi. Many observe Chhath Puja by taking a dip in the river.