"Has It Already Snowed on the Ganges River?"... Turns Out It's Toxic Foam

White Toxic Foam in Tributary of Ganges River
Used for Drinking Water and Religious Bathing
"May Cause Respiratory and Skin Problems"

The Yamuna River, a tributary of the Ganges River, a sacred site in Hinduism in India, has been covered with toxic foam.

In November 2021, Hindu devotees in India entered the Yamuna River, which was filled with toxic foam, to celebrate the Chhath Puja festival.
[Photo by EPA Yonhap News]

On the 9th (local time), foreign media including CNN reported that various parts of the Yamuna River, which stretches 1,376 km near New Delhi, the capital of India, were covered with white foam. According to the report, white foam layers appeared in several parts of the Yamuna River that day, and the accumulated foam was blown by the wind onto nearby vehicles and motorcycles on the road.

The white foam was confirmed to be a toxic substance mixed with sewage and wastewater. Large amounts of ammonia and phosphates were detected in this foam.

Foreign media explained, "The Yamuna River has suffered for decades due to untreated sewage and wastewater," adding, "Combined with the garbage dumped by the dense population, it has become the most polluted area near New Delhi."

This is not the first time such polluted foam has appeared in this river. Similar polluted foam has appeared several times before, including last September.

Young Hindu children are playing in the water, splashing around in the Yamuna River in northern India, which is filled with toxic foam.
Photo by AP Yonhap News

The problem is that in the lower reaches of this river, people bathe in this water and also use it as drinking water.

Also, the Yamuna River flowing through northern India is one of the largest tributaries of the Ganges River and is considered one of India's seven sacred rivers.

Accordingly, Hindus bathe in this river every early November as a ritual of purification. They said, "Bathing in the water is a ritual, so we know the water is very dirty, but there are not many alternatives."

However, experts pointed out that such behavior can cause respiratory and skin problems.

The Indian authorities have invested huge budgets to improve the river's pollution situation, but it is known that due to the severe discharge of wastewater and illegal dumping of garbage, no significant results have been achieved.