On Wednesday, the world’s Hindus celebrated Chhath, a sacred festival praising the Sun God and giving thanks for sustained life on Earth. The event is especially massive in India, where 80.5% of the population believes in Hinduism.
Part of the celebration involves festival-goers visiting India’s rivers, which are held as sacred to Hindus, to bathe and procure holy water. While this has been done for thousands of years, in recent times, visiting India’s rivers, such as the large Yamuna (seen above), have become perilous.
With India’s population growing at a rapid pace, along with other factors like with a lack of sewage treatment and education about waste, the country has some of the most polluted rivers and bodies of water in the world. Bathing and drinking the water is a serious risk.
The Yamuna River is considered one of the most polluted rivers in the world, especially near the population-dense city of New Delhi, which generates more than 500 million gallons of sewage per day.
It is this sewage and other industrial contaminates that create the foam on the river’s surface. The river has been deemed “dead,” meaning there is no longer enough oxygen in its waters to sustain fish.
Only recently have efforts begun to educate the populace about water pollution and sewage treatment. Enforcement of environmental laws have been weak as well.
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Devastating Photos Show Terrible Pollution In India’s Rivers: On Wednesday, the world’s Hindus celebrated… http://t.co/58mWZGjw6F