Toxic foam seen in Yamuna River near Kalindi Kunj due to Delhi pollution

Due to increasing pollution in Delhi, toxic foam was seen floating in the Yamuna River in the Kalindi Kunj area on Tuesday. This issue of increasing pollution in the Yamuna River was highlighted since Sunday similar foam was seen and still the pollution level in the river remains high. Dinesh Kumar, owner of an NGO that cleans the Yamuna ghats every weekend, said at the development: "There is much foam in the river, which turns poisonous for the skin, as well as for the eyes. We face difficulties in cleaning. Water quality has deteriorated rapidly due to the release of untreated sewage water into the river."

Bharatiya Janata Party national spokesperson Shehzad Poonawalla, on Saturday, visited the banks of the Yamuna at Kalindi Kunj and launched an attack on the Aam Aadmi Party government over the issue. He squarely blamed Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal for indulging in "toxic politics" and turning both water and air hazardous in the national capital. Poonawalla dared Kejriwal and his AAP leaders to take a dip in the polluted Yamuna river.

Meanwhile, the air quality of Delhi slipped into the 'very poor' category on Tuesday, recording an Air Quality Index of 385 at 8:00 am as per the Central Pollution Control Board. A thick layer of fog envelops many areas of the city like Anand Vihar, Kalkaji, Nehru Place and Akshardham Mandir as the air quality in the city continues to deteriorate.

It also enveloped the Ghazipur area, further deteriorating the visibility in the national capital. The CPCB classified the air of the city in the 'very poor' category, warning about possible effects on health-especially to those people with respiratory ailments. Pollution level would remain high if weather conditions do not get improved.

Saif, who is on duty, said, "Everybody faces breathing problems during these months, especially in October, November and December. The government is taking the right steps to curb pollution. The situation in Delhi is such that if the right steps are not taken in time it can cause a lot of trouble in the times to come." According to the Central Pollution Control Board, AQI in the 'severe' category can affect even healthy individuals and seriously affect those already suffering from health problems while 'poor' and 'very poor' levels can cause breathing problems and diseases on prolong exposure.