Chhath Puja 2017: Devotees Add to Yamuna’s Troubles in Delhi

Piles of festive waste were washed down the Yamuna and Hindon rivers after the Chhath Puja celebrations in Delhi.

Waste accumulated at the Kalyanpuri Ghat after the Chhath Puja.

(Photo: The Quint)

The four-day-long Chhath Puja might have ended on an upbeat note this Friday, 27 October, for the devotees, but all was not well for many residents living near the river banks.

Huge piles of biodegradable and non-biodegradable waste, including flower garlands, incense sticks, plastic bags, ceramic pots and idols were disposed of in the river Yamuna and its major tributary Hindon.

The Quint visited Kalindikunj and Kalyanpuri ghats in New Delhi to check on river pollution levels, and the results were deplorable.

While the already frothing Yamuna was made worse with the festive waste, the Hindon river was not spared from the contamination either.

The National Green Tribunal (NGT) had banned the immersion of idols during festivals and the Delhi government had put barricades on the 565 ghats set up for Chhath puja, yet all that wasn’t enough to keep the devotees from littering the area.

Educated people are behaving like illiterate people. Their faith in orthodox traditions leads to them littering the place.

Babulal Samir, Dakshin Dilli Swachh Initiaives Limited Supervisor

For the residents living near the banks, it proved to be even worse as they could no longer take water from the rivers to even feed their animals.

We use this water for drinking after filtering it, but the same water is also used to celebrate Chhath Puja. We cannot use this water anymore. 

Vinod Rao, Devotee

While some blamed the government for a lack of strict measures to check river pollution, most workers believe it is only through awareness among common citizens that the littering will stop.

People who litter have this evil tendency to throw polythene wherever they eat, which makes the Ganga and the Yamuna impure. Unless we educate them, nothing will change.

Dinesh Lal, Devotee

Shot and Produced: Anmol Saini
Video Editor: Vivek Gupta