An environmental activist has sounded a serious alarm over the extended and excessive use of chemical defoamers in the River Yamuna, warning top Delhi authorities of potential long-term ecological damage.
Letter to Delhi's Top Leadership
Activist Pankaj Kumar has written urgent letters to Lieutenant Governor VK Saxena and Chief Minister Rekha Gupta, highlighting a major shift in pollution control practices. His core concern is the prolonged spraying of defoamers, chemicals used to break down toxic foam that often plagues the river.
Kumar pointed out a stark change in protocol. From 2022 to 2024, the Delhi Jal Board limited defoamer application to a brief 7–10 day period around Chhath Puja. However, this year, the practice started much earlier and continued for an alarming duration.
Extended Use Beyond Festival Period
In his letter dated December 15, Kumar stated that the spraying commenced on October 15 and continued unabated for nearly 60 days, with plans to extend it even further. He emphasized that this was a significant deviation from the earlier, more restrained approach.
"Personal observations confirm that defoamer is being applied even when no foam is visible on the river surface, far exceeding any rational or temporary measure," Kumar wrote. He cited international peer-reviewed studies indicating that heavy use of silicone-based defoamers, specifically polydimethylsiloxane (PDMS), can cause severe environmental harm.
Potential Long-Term Consequences for River Life
The activist detailed the specific risks associated with such sustained chemical use. Constant spraying could reduce oxygen transfer in the water, disrupt essential microbial communities, and lead to the accumulation of non-biodegradable silicone and silica in river sediments. This cocktail of effects poses a direct threat to aquatic life, potentially altering the river's ecosystem for years to come.
Echoing these concerns, Bhim Singh Rawat, associate coordinator of the South Asia Network on Dams, Rivers and People, called for immediate action. He urged the creation of a standard operating procedure for defoamer use and requested that bodies like the Central Pollution Control Board (CPCB) and the National Mission for Clean Ganga conduct thorough studies on its ecological impact.
In a significant development following the raised concerns, a senior government official confirmed that instructions have now been issued to stop the use of defoamers in the Yamuna. This move indicates the authorities are taking the warnings seriously, though the long-term effects of the two-month spraying period remain a point of environmental scrutiny.
