AAP-BJP spar over dead fish in Yamuna ahead of Chhath Puja

Dead fish in Yamuna near Sonia Vihar, in the upper relatively cleaner stretch of the river in the national capital, triggered a political blame game between the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) and the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP). 

The Delhi government had inaugurated a cruise in Yamuna at Sonia Vihar earlier this week. The AAP alleged that the dead fish shows the pollution in the river. Hitting back, senior BJP leader and Water Minister Parvesh Sahib Singh blamed the AAP for dumping dead fish in the river.

“As soon as ferry services started on the Yamuna, officials from our department informed me that some people were dumping dead fish into the Yamuna. The major festival of Chhath is approaching, and they are trying to spoil the atmosphere ahead of the festival. Mothers and sisters, who will offer prayers to the Sun God there, stand in the river,” Mr. Singh told the media.

“These people are trying to spoil the entire atmosphere, Arvind Kejriwal is doing such petty politics. I have instructed our department to file an FIR on this matter, and the department is filing an FIR today. An investigation will be conducted to identify who people are and whether they have any connection with the Aam Aadmi Party. Everything will become clear,” the Minister said. 

Meanwhile, Delhi AAP president Saurabh Bharadwaj alleged that the BJP was spreading a “fake narrative” that they have cleaned half of Yamuna.

“Now there are multiple videos on social media showing dead fish near Sonia Vihar area in Yamuna and it would have been caused because of pollutants in the river. Parvesh Verma (Sahib Singh) has got agitated because their fake narrative has been exposed,” Mr. Bharadwaj said.

Mr. Bharadwaj said that like last year, BJP’s Haryana government has been asked by Centre to release extra fresh water into Yamuna from Hathnikund barrage in Haryana.

“This extra water further dilutes the pollutant load and these jokers start their circus to fool the people of Delhi. They are the set of same BJP frauds who wasted public money to construct a ‘nakli’ Yamuna of bisleri water last year. When they were exposed, the PM had to cancel his plans to take a dip in ‘nakli’ Yamuna. I invite Manoj Tiwari and Water Minister Parvesh Verma to drink water at Kalindi Kunj Ghat,” the AAP leader said.

The Yamuna enters Delhi at Palla and is relatively cleaner till it reaches Wazirabad, where water is taken and treated for meeting Delhi’s drinking water needs. Downstream of Wazirabad, several drains empty into the river, making the rest of the river stretch in the national capital, one of the most polluted river stretches in the country.

Fines on Sewage Treatment Plants

Environmental activist Amit Gupta on Thursday said that there has been an 88-fold surge penalties levied by the DPCC on industrial CETP and 22.95 crore in fines against STPs run by the DJB, as per data received under RTI.

“STPs and CETPs are supposed to be Delhi’s primary line of defense to clean wastewater and industrial effluent before it enters the Yamuna, yet these RTI figures prove that the very plants meant to clean the river are failing to function properly,” he said.

Mr. Gupta said that merely imposing fines on paper will not revive the Yamuna unless these treatment plants are fixed on the ground and held strictly accountable.