In Delhi, a woman washes her hair with the Yamuna’s toxic foam; The internet reminds her that it’s “not shampoo”

Latest update:08 Nov 2024, 15:15 IST

Videos of Chhat Puja devotees bathing in the toxic foam of the Yamuna River have gone viral.

The Delhi High Court has banned devotees from bathing in the Yamuna. (Photo authors: X)

It’s that time of year again when the Yamuna river in Delhi is covered in a thick layer of white foam containing ammonia and phosphates. Although high levels of pollutants and untreated sewage are considered harmful, people are still unfazed by the frothy, toxic water during Chhath Puja celebrations in the national capital. A video of a woman washing her head with toxic water in the Yamuna River is going viral. Along with her, other devotees were seen taking a dip in the water as part of Chhath Puja rituals.

In the video, a woman dressed in a sari stands in knee-deep water and appears to be using the foam as shampoo to wash her hair. Several others around her also continued their bathing ritual, oblivious to the toxic foam around them.

“I repeat once again, everyone needs basic education. Watch this aunty wash her hair thinking the foam is shampoo!!” reads the caption of the video.

Similar videos show groups of women washing their hair with foamy water, causing shockwaves online. “These women are washing their heads with thick toxic foam in the Yamuna river, I’m glad no one has started believing this as a miracle of God,” the user wrote mockingly.

The videos surfaced despite the Delhi High Court banning devotees from performing Chhath Puja rituals on the banks of the river. “It will be very harmful for you. The fact is that the river is so polluted that if you dive into it, there is a possibility that a person will be harmed. We cannot allow this. The river itself is very polluted,” the court said. The court even noted the high level of pollution in the river, due to which people could get sick from swimming.

Despite the ban and restrictions, devotees were seen in large numbers along the banks of the Yamuna river to offer prayers and take holy bath.