Delhi Chief Minister Rekha Gupta on Thursday said women in the city will celebrate Chhath this year by offering prayers to the sun god in a Yamuna free of filth and froth.

The Chief Minister also reviewed the report from the on-site laboratory testing the river’s water and expressed satisfaction over the quality of Yamuna water. This laboratory operates under the Treatment Plant and Quality Control Wing of the Delhi Jal Board.

Inspecting preparations for the festival at the Kalindi Kunj Ghat riverfront ahead of the festival from October 25-28, she said there was dense froth on Yamuna under the previous AAP regime and devotees had to stand in polluted waters.   “Now, you can see the clean water under the BJP government’s preparations... There is no filth or froth in the water,” the chief minister said, adding that her government was alert.  “This time, women holding the Chhath fast will offer ‘arghya’ to the sun god in clean Yamuna water... They will not face any filth or froth,” she said. Hundreds of Delhi government employees have been deployed to maintain cleanliness, the chief minister said.

The Aam Aadmi Party (AAP), however, accused the BJP-led government of “double standards”, alleging that it was now using the same chemicals to remove froth from the Yamuna that it had earlier criticised when the AAP was in power.

The Chief Minister was accompanied by Minister of Development and Tourism, Kapil Mishra. After reviewing the water quality and receiving other related information, the Chief Minister informed that the Dissolved Oxygen (DO) level in the Yamuna river water today was found to be 4.0 milligrams per liter.

This level is sufficient for the river and suitable for the survival of aquatic organisms. If this level drops to 2 or below, it poses a threat to both the Yamuna and its aquatic life. The Chief Minister said that there was a time when the oxygen level in the Yamuna had fallen below zero, making it impossible for any aquatic organism to survive.

The improvement visible today has been made possible due to continuous desilting, revival of modern Sewage Treatment Plants (STPs), and tapping of drains across Delhi.

She said that her government has removed between 25,000 and 35,000 metric tonnes of silt from Delhi’s drains, upgraded sewage treatment plants (STPs), and tapped every drain to prevent sewage discharge into the river.

The Chief Minister informed that continuous monitoring of Yamuna’s water quality is being carried out.

The phosphate level in the Yamuna, which is the main cause of froth formation, has now been recorded at only 0.2, whereas froth starts forming when this level exceeds 2 points. The level of ammonia in the river water has also come down significantly. The Chief Minister clarified that the defoamers and other chemical processes used for controlling froth in the Yamuna are completely eco-friendly and certified. Referring to opposition allegations of froth on the Yamuna water, the chief minister said the reality was before everyone to see, notwithstanding “fake videos” posted on social media.

Addressing a press conference, AAP’s Delhi unit chief Saurabh Bharadwaj said, “In 2022, Parvesh Verma, then a BJP MP, manhandled a Delhi Jal Board officer and accused the Kejriwal government of poisoning the Yamuna with this chemical. Now, as minister of the same department, his own ministry is using the same chemical.”  AAP leader also shared a video on X purportedly showing froth on the river, claiming, “The BJP considers the people of Delhi to be fools.”

The chief minister claimed the river is being treated in a completely eco-friendly way, without any negative effects on either the water or the living beings in it. The Chief Minister appealed to the public not to be misled by fake videos or old footage, but instead to witness and understand the present reality themselves. Froth appears on the surface of the Yamuna due to chemicals in the untreated sewage and industrial effluent discharged into it.

During the on-site inspection, Minister of Development and Tourism, Mishra, said that Delhi’s culture and traditions are its true identity, and strengthening them is the top priority of the Government. Mishra added that in the coming days, Delhi will witness the observance of the Chhath Mahaparv with full devotion and grandeur.

Chhath is celebrated by Purvanchali people settled in Delhi in large numbers, six days after Diwali. The three-day festival requires women to fast and offer cow milk and Ganga water as “arghya” (an offering) to the setting and rising sun.