• Many Hindus are risking severe illness by immersing themselves in toxic waters they consider holy, despite the significant health warnings.
• Shocking footage captures devotees wading through a foam-choked, polluted river in celebration of the Hindu festival of Chhath.
Disturbing footage has surfaced, capturing devout Hindu worshippers immersed in toxic foam, underscoring an escalating ecological crisis that continues to claim millions of lives.
Brushing aside thick, deadly scum, thousands of Hindu devotees defied court-issued warnings last week to perform ritual bathing in the sacred yet sewage-laden Yamuna River—a stark testament to the environmental degradation plaguing India’s capital.
Last Thursday, November 7, marked the Chhath Puja festival, during which Hindus honour the sun god, Surya. Despite the river’s stench and visible contamination, thousands entered its polluted waters as the evening sun dipped below the horizon.
A February parliamentary report grimly described the Yamuna as “more of a toxic waterway than a river,” with its foam formed by a dangerous cocktail of industrial chemicals, detergents, and phosphates from agricultural runoff.
On the eve of the festival, a high court warned against ritual bathing due to severe health risks, with one judge pleading, “Please understand you will fall sick… we can’t allow you to go into the water.”
Nevertheless, devotees remained undeterred. “I believe the waters of the river are pure and blessed by the sun god himself,” said 45-year-old housewife Krishnawati Devi. “Nothing will happen to me—god will take care of everything.” Dressed in vibrant saris and adorned with heavy jewellery, worshippers waded into the grey, foam-covered river. In some areas, the foam was so thick it resembled sheets of ice.
“Chhath is a festival of unflinching faith,” said Avinash Kumar, 58, a government worker. “We can also pray at home, but it doesn’t feel the same as praying in the river.” Participants beat drums and sang hymns, determined to uphold tradition despite the health hazards.
Authorities attempted to mitigate the foam by deploying anti-foaming agents and nets, but such efforts failed to address the underlying contamination of the river itself. “It stinks, but it’s OK,” said 14-year-old Deepa Kumari. “What matters is that we celebrate together in the river.”
The Yamuna’s condition reflects a broader crisis: New Delhi, home to over 30 million people, is simultaneously choking under toxic smog. The city’s air pollution recently spiked to over 50 times the World Health Organization’s recommended PM2.5 limit, compounding the region’s health risks.
The Yamuna, which begins as pristine glacier melt in the Himalayas, becomes biologically “dead” within just 400 kilometers of its journey, thanks to untreated sewage and industrial discharge. A government report highlighted excessive levels of carcinogenic heavy metals, including arsenic and zinc, which stem from industrial waste, fertilizers, and pesticides. Alarmingly, raw sewage accounts for 80% of the river’s pollution, making it unfit for human contact, let alone religious ceremonies.
In some areas, levels of faecal bacteria have surpassed health guidelines by thousands of times. Yet for many, faith and tradition outweigh the risks. “The river is sacred, but all the filth from nearby industries is being dumped into it,” lamented Kumar. “Every year they promise to clean it, but nothing changes.”
This is not an isolated issue. Seventy percent of India’s surface water is estimated to be unfit for human use, exposing millions to contaminated water daily. The World Bank reported in 2011 that inadequate sanitation and pollution-related illnesses account for approximately 400,000 deaths annually in India, with children under five disproportionately affected.
Despite promises from Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi to rejuvenate the country’s waterways, including constructing millions of toilets to combat open defecation, poor infrastructure and lax enforcement have hindered progress. Over half of India’s untreated sewage is still discharged directly into rivers.
As India’s rivers, including the revered Ganges, deteriorate further, the health and economic toll continues to rise.
The worsening state of India’s holy rivers underscores an urgent need to prioritise health and environmental action over blind adherence to traditions. Many Hindus are continuing to risk severe illness by immersing themselves in toxic waters which they deem to be holy.
