Opposition Alleges Govt Using 'Poisonous Chemical' To Suppress Yamuna Froth, AAP Says As Per Centre's Advice

As Delhi prepares for Chhath Puja to be celebrated on October 30 and 31, the annual occurrence of toxic foam in the Yamuna has sparked a political controversy. The Bhartiya Janata Party (BJP) and the Congress have accused the government of using a "poisonous" spray to remove the foam. In contrast, the ruling Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) has dismissed the allegations as politically motivated.

BJP Blames AAP For Polluted Yamuna

Delhi BJP accused Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal, on Thursday, of making "false promises" of cleaning the river and alleged that the water body continues to be polluted, as per The Hindu.

Several BJP politicians, including the national capital chief Adesh Gupta, the leader of the opposition Ramvir Singh Bidhuri and other Members of Parliament like Manoj Tiwari and Parvesh Verma, visited several ghats to inspect the preparedness of the government for the Chhath festival, which will be celebrated on Sunday and Monday.

MP Tiwari alleged that the AAP government has been claiming to clean the Yamuna in five years since it first came to power in 2013; however, the river's condition has worsened. He said if the CM had comprehended the severity of pollution, he would have been on the Yamuna banks during the festival and not just campaigning based on false promises.

The handle named Office of Manoj Tiwari shared a video through Twitter on October 28 and wrote, "Instead of cleaning Yamuna Ji, Kejriwal made it more poisonous."

यमुना जी को साफ करने की जगह केजरीवाल ने उनको और जहरीला बना डाला। #KejriwalDestroyedYamuna pic.twitter.com/EK2C3OGsQK

— Office Of Manoj Tiwari🇮🇳 (@ManojTiwariOffc) October 28, 2022

Blame Game Of Political Parties

Furthermore, Tiwari stated that the layer of white foam visible in the water near Okhla was evidence of the river's high ammonia-phosphorus concentration and that harmful chemicals were being employed to cover it up. He alleged, "We have seized about 50,000 litres of poisonous chemicals, and a complaint has also been lodged with the police. The Delhi Jal Board officials and Kejriwal's people were using the chemical to suppress the froth."

In his defence, Arvind Kejriwal took to Twitter and questioned BJP's work for the past 15 years. He wrote, "The election of Yamuna cleanliness, school, and hospital is over in 2020. The people of Delhi have given us five years to clean the Yamuna. The election of the Municipal Corporation of Delhi is the election of Delhi's cleanliness and garbage. Don't deviate from issues, BJP. Give an account of your 15 years."

यमुना सफ़ाई, स्कूल, अस्पताल वाला चुनाव 2020 में ख़त्म हो गया। दिल्ली वालों ने हमें यमुना की सफ़ाई के लिए 5 साल दिए हैं। दिल्ली नगर निगम का चुनाव दिल्ली की सफ़ाई और कूड़े का चुनाव है। बीजेपी वाले मुद्दा ना भटकायें। अपने 15 वर्षों का हिसाब दें।

— Arvind Kejriwal (@ArvindKejriwal) October 27, 2022

What Does Delhi Jal Board Say?

Responding to the allegations, Delhi Jal Board vice-chairman Saurabh Bhardwaj said the BJP functionaries should learn about science and technology. He said, "It's absolutely stupid and incorrect to say that 'a poisonous chemical' is being used to suppress the foam. Chemicals don't mean poison. Even chlorine and alum that are used to clean water are chemicals."

Bhardwaj noted that the National Mission for Cleaning Ganga, an agency of the central government, has also recommended DJB's anti-foaming chemical technology. He continued by saying that the results of recent lab tests show an improvement in the quality parameters of Yamuna water following spraying.

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