What TV doesn't, print can't; we deliver.
What TV doesn't, print can't; we deliver.
The New Indian spoke to various experts who agreed with the fact that silicon defoamer does not make Yamuna pollution free. “The Yamuna has now turned into chemical-laden water and people taking baths in the Yamuna should definitely do a soap bath,” says leading dermatologist Dr Deepali Bhardwaj.
Experts have given a thumbs down to the use of silicone defoamer to suppress the frothing in Yamuna. With the aim of removing the visible froth, the Delhi Jal Board sprayed a special silicone defoamer in the days leading up to Chhath celebration when devotees take a dip in Yamuna river and offer prayers to Sun God.
Experts have cautioned against the use of the defoamer as adding more chemicals to polluted water can do more damage than good. Silicone defoamers only make the frothing disappear. It does not kill the pollutants.
The use of silicone defoamer has led to a political war between AAP and the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), which termed the chemical poisonous to the health of the devotees who will take a dip in the river.
The New Indian spoke to various experts who agreed with the fact that silicon defoamer does not make Yamuna pollution free.
Varun Gulati, an environmentalist and an expert on Yamuna, said, “Delhi government is spraying silicone defoamer in Yamuna and claiming that Yamuna will be pollution free, which is completely wrong. This chemical is widely used in STP and CETP. The main function of this chemical is to suppress the frothing so that it won’t be seen, but it does not clean the pollution present in the water by any chance.”
Explaining the hazards of the toxic river water on the skin, leading dermatologist Dr Deepali Bhardwaj, said, “This pollution can lead to various kinds of skin and serious health hazards. Worse is that it can lead to skin cancer.”
Dr Bhardwaj suggested that it is important that one should take bath after taking a dip in the river. “The Yamuna has now turned into chemical-laden water and people taking baths in the Yamuna should definitely do a soap bath,” she said.
Giving necessary tips before taking a dip in the river, Dr Bhardwaj said, “Potassium permanganate can be used before entering the Yamuna and after coming out. It releases nascent oxygen, which is anti-bacterial and anti-fungal. It keeps the human body safe.”
“Lots of skin allergies erupt in this kind of chemical-laden water. People who have cuts can develop a systemic fungal infection that can be life-threatening. Besides that, there are high chances of developing skin cancer due to the chemicals as a silicon-containing cancer compound being found in the water,” Dr Bhardwaj said.
According to environmental experts, froth is common in the Yamuna but has increased dramatically in the last five to six years. They say that the main reason behind the frothing in the river is the untreated effluent discharged from water-intensive industries in Delhi, Haryana and Uttar Pradesh.
“The polluting units are operational in residential areas. These dyeing units in question discharge a high amount of phosphate content, which is then discharged untreated into drains and sewers. STPs installed by DJB are not capable of treating them. This ultimately causes frothing in the Yamuna,” Gulati said.
Giving more insight into the matter, environmentalist Manu Singh said, “Only two per cent of the entire river passes through Delhi but 79 per cent of its pollution is in the form of detergent-based waste from households.”
“Although there has been lots of hue and cry as well as promises from the government. But no strict actions have been taken to control the causes of pollution,” Singh pointed out.
Experts opined that the Yamuna needs a special watchdog just for assessment of pollution potential and cleaning. Just making policies won’t get it cleaned up till illegal dyeing and electroplating units are operational in residential areas and redevelopment areas, they said.
