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New Delhi: The auspicious festival of Chhath Puja has begun on Saturday, October 25. With this, the recurring froth in the Yamuna River has also become a major concern for devotees, as taking a dip in the holy water is a part of the rituals to worship Chhathi Maiya. Delhi Water Minister Parvesh Verma cited a report by the DPCC (Delhi Pollution Control Committee) to claim that the water quality of the river is better than last year, while Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) leader Kapil Mishra said, “BJP never claimed that the Yamuna is clean". Using the same report, Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) leader Saurabh Bhardwaj highlighted that the water in the Yamuna currently contains “human waste (potty),” which makes it unsuitable for bathing. Parvesh Verma, on Saturday, visited several Ghats in Delhi, reviewed the preparations, and advocated for cleaner water in the Yamuna River. He said, "Women and sisters are going to the ghats of the Yamuna River, they are saying that they have never seen a cleaner Yamuna than this until today... We are working with honesty. We never claimed to clean the Yamuna within 7 months. We had said that our plan is for 3-4 years..." Meanwhile, Kapil Mishra (Minister for Art, Culture, and Language of Delhi) slammed the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) for restricting puja at the Yamuna river during the previous regime, and pressing charges against people who “wanted to celebrate”. Also Read: Sore Throats to Worsened Asthma: 3 in 4 Delhi-NCR Families Suffer Ill-Effects of 'Toxic Air' He said, "Comparing this year to last, the Yamuna’s water level has dropped drastically. For years, residents from peripheral areas were prevented from performing Chhath Puja despite sufficient water. While the Chhath Puja is allowed this year, many feel humiliated and oppressed for being denied for over a decade. Their grievance highlights long-standing injustice along the riverbanks..." “For many years, the previous government restricted Chhath Puja at the Yamuna and filed cases against those who wanted to celebrate. This year, Chhath Puja is happening at the ghats of Yamuna Maiya,” Mishra added. ‘Never Claimed Yamuna is Clean’ Delhi Minister Kapil Verma targeted former Delhi CM Arvind Kejriwal for restricting Chhath Puja during his regime, adding that a grnad celebration is going to be there this year. Talking to news agency ANI, the minister claimed that Bharatiya Janata Party never claimed that the water in Yamuna is clean. He said, "BJP never claimed that the Yamuna is clean or that its water is drinkable, but Chhath Puja can be done." Yamuna Contains Human Waste While quoting the same DPCC report, AAP leader Saurabh Bharadwaj claimed that the water in the Yamuna is not fit for bathing as it contains human waste and other pollutants. The AAP Delhi chief, Saurabh Bharadwaj, challenged Chief Minister Rekha Gupta to drink water from the river to prove her claims that it had been cleaned. There was no immediate response available from the Delhi government over the accusation. “As per the report dated 23.10.2025 of Delhi Govt’s DPCC, the water in the Yamuna is NOT even suitable for bathing. This report shows Yamuna water is very polluted and contains human waste (potty) in alarming quantities. Imagine, BJP leaders, for their false propaganda & Bihar elections, want poor purvanchali kids to even drink this water. Poor kids can fall very sick, and they can even die. This is in spite of the fact that the Haryana Govt has diverted all the water of the Eastern Yamuna canal into the Yamuna for 7 days. So after 7 days, Pollution will turn worse and the BJP will again stand exposed.” Meanwhile, residents of Delhi showed concern over the Yamuna water quality. Several activists and locals expressed their anger on social media platforms. In a post on X, formerly Twitter, a resident analysed the DPCC report and said, “DPCC Published new Yamuna water quality Report. sampling date 20th October 2025. Result= not fit for Bathing” “Yamuna ab nadi nahi nala hai. App kitni bhi saf kar le par bo saf nahi hogi. Baki app notanki besarmi ki had tak kar sakte hai (Yamuna is not a river now, but a gutter. Clean as much as you want, but it will not be cleaned.) “Eyes burning. Throat itching. Difficult to breathe. And for Chhath, taking a bath in the bacterial mist of the impure Yamuna water. All this will happen to Common Man.” Get Latest News Live on Times Now along with Breaking News and Top Headlines from Delhi and around the world.
