New Delhi: With Chhath Puja around the corner, Delhi Chief Minister Rekha Gupta on Thursday visited the Kalindi Kunj Chhath Ghat to inspect preparations and claimed that the Yamuna River is cleaner this year, with no visible toxic foam, a stark contrast to previous years.

Joined by Minister Kapil Mishra, the CM stated that under the current BJP-led Delhi government, large-scale clean-up efforts have led to noticeable improvements in the river’s condition, especially at key Chhath celebration sites.

“This is the same place where we used to witness toxic foam floating on the Yamuna River and Chhath devotees had to offer prayers standing here,” said Gupta. “With preparations being done under the BJP government, we see no toxic foam here and water flowing. Grand preparations are underway for the Chhath festival.”

She urged citizens not to be misled by outdated visuals of the river circulating online.

“Please be careful about those old videos (of River Yamuna) that people post... Today, the Yamuna is many times cleaner, clearer, and more beautiful than before, and we've seen no foam buildup there,” she stated.

Highlighting the steps taken by the government, Gupta noted that a major desilting operation was conducted, in which 25,000 to 35,000 metric tonnes of silt were removed from city drains that would have otherwise emptied into the Yamuna.

Additionally, she said that nearly all drains in Delhi have been tapped and connected to sewage treatment plants (STPs), and older STPs have been upgraded to meet modern standards.

“Today, the BOD level is better than before, and the government is working towards further improving it. We have worked to remove thousands of tons of water hyacinth from the Yamuna... The Yamuna, where even the smallest bacterium could not thrive before, is now completely saturated with oxygen. Today, aquatic life can flourish there,” Gupta added. “Fish can live there, and the water is clean. More work is needed”

Despite the progress, Gupta acknowledged that more work remains and stressed the government’s commitment to continuous improvement.

“We have tried to do more than the government could have done in 6 months. We have done it honestly,” she said.

Worshippers had to wade through foam to offer prayers

For years, images of Chhath devotees wading through thick layers of white, toxic foam on the Yamuna have been symbolic of the river’s pollution crisis. Caused by high levels of phosphates and untreated sewage, the froth poses serious health risks.

Last year, the Delhi Pollution Control Committee (DPCC) reported that the Yamuna failed to meet basic water quality parameters, including dissolved oxygen, BOD, and fecal coliform levels, indicating persistent pollution.

While anti-foaming agents were traditionally sprayed as a short-term solution before festivals, long-term efforts to improve water quality had lagged, until now, according to the current administration.