New Delhi: Yamuna’s pollution woes have resurfaced with visuals of dead fish floating along the Sonia Vihar stretch. The sightings came just a day after the official launch of Delhi’s first recreational river cruise service, the Namo Yamuna River Safari.
In Oct, TOI reported the death of hundreds of fish in Burari, upstream of Wazirabad barrage, a stretch often considered Yamuna’s cleanest section in Delhi. Fishermen had reported a rising stink from the river before the dead fish were found floating in its main channel. The incident has triggered a political row, with Delhi environment minister Parvesh Verma alleging that the dead fish were deliberately dumped into the river to discredit govt. Opposition AAP questioned, “If this water is not safe for fish, is it safe for humans? The deaths were concerning as they occurred soon after monsoon, when the river is expected to have adequate water and cleaner upstream inflows. The latest incident along Sonia Vihar comes amid continuing concerns over the river’s health, with experts calling for scientific investigation rather than assumptions. Following the October incident, environmental group Earth Warrior had similarly sought immediate water testing for dissolved oxygen, biochemical oxygen demand, faecal coliform, heavy metals and toxic substances.
Regardless of the war of words, the latest incident has brought renewed attention to recurring fish mortality episodes in Yamuna, which experts have previously linked to pollution spikes and deteriorating water quality.
At the time, environmental experts called for an investigation into the possible causes, including industrial pollution, untreated sewage discharges and restricted environmental flows. Bhim Singh Rawat of South Asia Network on Dams, Rivers and People — an informal network working on river and water infrastructure issues — had warned that if pollution was responsible for the death of the fish, the adverse effects could extend to Delhi’s drinking water source.