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Hindus bathe in the sacred Yamuna of India covered in toxic foam New Galleries

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One of the most sacred rivers in India seems to be covered with a thick layer of snow. Except not.

A large stretch of the Yamuna River is covered in toxic white foam caused by pollutants emitted by industries surrounding New Delhi.

However, on Wednesday, hundreds of Hindu devotees stood on their knees in its beautiful and damaging waters, sometimes immersed in a traditional bath to celebrate the feast of Chhath Puja.

The 1,376 km (855 miles) Yamuna is one of the holiest rivers for Hindus. It is also one of the most polluted in the world.

The river provides more than half of New Delhi’s water, and poses a serious health threat to its residents. Over the years, most of the capital’s wastewater has become dirtier, with pesticides from farms in nearby states and industrial effluents from factory towns flowing into the water despite anti-pollution laws.

In a city that already has the most polluted air in the world, it is a dangerous river for many who are not healthy. However, devotees attend every year a festival dedicated to the sun god and observed with a bathing ritual.

Rajesh Kumar Verma was among those who offered prayers in the banks of Yamuna on Wednesday. He knows the water is harmful, but he still stopped there, no matter the health risks.

“What fear? If we are afraid, how can we pray? ‘ he said.

Authorities deployed motor boats in an attempt to disperse the toxic foam. They also set up barricades made of bamboo sticks to keep them away from the river bank.

The capital of India, with a population of over 20 million, is one of the most fetish cities in the world. Winters in particular have become a time of health problems when the city is covered in a toxic fog that obscures the sky and the level of air pollution reaches catastrophic levels.

Another contributing factor is farmers in adjacent agricultural regions who set fire to their land after harvest to clear it for the next crop season.

“Delhi is full of pollution, but people’s lives are still moving forward. That way, we will also say our prayers, ”said another devotee, Rajendra Mahto.

On Wednesday, the New Delhi air quality index was “very poor” according to India’s leading environmental protection agency SAFAR.



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