NEWS

New Delhi, Nov 8, 2016 : There are several photographs making rounds on social media that show the river Yamuna layered by a thick coating of toxic froth. The froth reflects the alarming levels of toxicity present in the water. It’s a result of the untreated sewage and chemical waste that’s discharged from countless industries into the river. What’s equally disturbing is that during Chhath Puja (a festival that worships the Hindu sun god, Surya), scores of devotees unflinchingly immerse themselves waist-deep into the waters of the Yamuna. Holy bathing in a natural water body (along with fasting and abstaining oneself from drinking water) is among the many rituals performed during the festival. Of late, concerns relating to the rising levels of polluted particles in the Yamuna have made international news. Dipping into the polluted waters is like extending an open invitation to an array of diseases from skin and eye infections to even cancer in extreme cases

Read More at :  http://indianexpress.com/article/trending/voice/in-the-name-of-god-and-devotion-is-it-really-worth-taking-a-dip-in-toxic-yamuna-4364726/