White menace returns: Yamuna froths again in Delhi

Thick white froth has once again covered the Yamuna at Kalindi Kunj, offering a stark visual reminder of pollution in Delhi’s river stretch. The foam and stench, absent for a few weeks after freshwater releases, have quietly returned, showing how temporary fixes fail without sustained cleanup.

Unlike last October, when authorities sprang into action before Chhath Puja, the current response is muted. Daily inspections and freshwater releases from Hathnikund have stopped, and urgency to tackle pollution seems missing now that the river is out of public spotlight.

In October, nearly 10 cusecs of freshwater diluted pollutants and pushed the foam away. Once releases stopped, surfactants and phosphates again concentrated at barrages like Kalindi Kunj, allowing thick froth to form on the surface within weeks.

Experts say froth is back because wastewater isn’t being treated properly. With almost no freshwater flow entering Delhi’s Yamuna now, sewage from NCR reaches the river either untreated or poorly treated, turning the stretch into a moving drain rather than a river.

Structural issues also worsen the crisis. While ITO gates remain permanently open, barrages such as Kalindi Kunj trap contaminants in slow-moving water. This allows chemicals from detergents and sewage to accumulate and create the familiar white sheets of foam.

Several drains feeding the Yamuna recorded extremely high pollution levels, yet corresponding river stretches showed improvement in official numbers. Activists say this gap suggests monitoring flaws, especially when sewage and industrial waste directly enter the river unchecked.

Earlier official reports claimed improvement in water quality even as froth and foul smell returned. Environmentalists question how river health indicators improved on paper while the river visually appeared worse, calling the mismatch illogical and misleading.

Centre and Delhi govt have reviewed stalled dam projects in Uttarakhand and Himachal Pradesh to restore environmental flow. While they may dilute pollution in future, experts warn that without fixing sewage treatment, frothing will remain a recurring sight in Delhi’s Yamuna.