Yamuna frothing: What causes froth in the river and why is it dangerous

Yamuna frothing: What causes froth in the river and why is it dangerous

Subject : Environment

Context-

• Froth in Yamuna: A layer of froth seen was floating over parts of the Yamuna river near Kalindi Kunj.

Location of frothing in yamuna-

• The frothing is seen only near Kalindi Kunj, downstream of the Okhla barrage
• It would have been seen across the entire stretch of the river, after the Wazirabad barrage, since drains begin emptying into the river from there.

Frothing and its causes-

• Froth is a mass of small bubbles in liquid caused by agitation, fermentation, or salivating.
• The froth is the sign of a polluted river.
• According to the experts, the release of untreated or poorly treated effluents could lead to frothing.
• Sewage network and industrial waste also leads to toxic frothing.
• Phosphates present in the river cause froth.
• The turbulence at the barrage near Okhla also forms foam from the phosphates.
• Also, organic matter from decomposing vegetation and the presence of filamentous bacteria cause foam.
• Pollutants from sugar and paper industries in U.P. that travel through Hindon canal.

Constituents-

• Surfactantsand phosphates found in detergent in households and industrial laundry forms 1% of froth, and remaining 99% is air and water.

How can froth formation be stopped-

• Rid okhla pondage of water hyacinth.
• Detergents used must be biodegradable.
• U.P., Haryana and Delhi must improve their sewage treatment plants.
• Industrial pollution must be stopped
• Increasing the flow of river.

Steps taken to reduce/remove frothing-

• The Yamuna Monitoring Committee had asked the Delhi Pollution Control Committee (DPCC) and the Central Pollution Control Board (CPCB) to inspect and submit reports on this matter.
• The report submitted by the CPCB suggests that the foam formation takes place at two locations–downstream of the ITO and Okhla barrages.
• The water that falls after discharge from the Okhla barrage stirs the foaming agents present in the water.
• In June this year, the DPCC banned the sale, storage and transportation of soaps and detergents not meeting the quality standards set by the Bureau of Indian Standards (BIS).

Delhi govt deploys boats to remove froth-

• The Delhi government deployed 15 boats to remove the froth with the help of ropes.
• The Delhi Pollution Control Committee (DPCC) is said to conceive the plan and implement it with the help of the Irrigation Flood Control Department and Revenue Department.

Possible consequences-

• According to some environmentalists, the chemical used to prevent frothing can cause skin diseases, eye irritation and can pollute the water in the long run.
• Long term exposure can also cause Neurological issues and hormonal disbalance.

Yamuna river-

• Source: The river Yamuna, a major tributary of river Ganges, originates from the Yamunotri glacier near Bandarpoonch peaks in the Mussoorie range of the lower Himalayas at an elevation of about 6387 meters above mean sea level in Uttarkashi district of Uttarakhand.
• Basin: It meets the Ganges at the Sangam (where Kumbh mela is held) in Prayagraj, Uttar Pradesh after flowing through Uttarakhand, Himachal Pradesh, Haryana and Delhi.
• Length: 1376 km
• Important Dam: Lakhwar-Vyasi Dam (Uttarakhand), Tajewala Barrage Dam (Haryana) etc.
• Important Tributaries: Chambal, Sindh, Betwa and Ken.