NEW DELHI: Delhi govt is likely to ban the use of soaps and detergents in car washes. They contain phosphates and surfactants that enter the drains and eventually flow into the Yamuna. Water minister Parvesh Verma told TOI that cleaning the river necessitated strict measures like this.
“To enforce the ban, govt can seek the help of the municipal corporation,” Verma said. “We are very serious about cleaning the Yamuna and we need everyone’s support for this. For Yamuna Maiyaa, we will take every step, big or small. Banning car-wash products is one of the plans we want to implement in the city.”
The minister said that before executing the ban, an awareness campaign would be launched to make people aware about the consequences of using car-wash products. Govt officials claimed that banning the use of such products would reduce the amount of phosphates, surfactants and other chemicals entering the wastewater system.
An alternative plan is also being contemplated. Space near sewage treatment plants may be allotted for opening car-wash centres, where treated wastewater can be used. Verma said, “At these centres, the city’s car owners can get their vehicles washed at nominal rates. The resulting wastewater can be processed easily at the nearby STPs.”
Govt officials said there was a plan to launch a large-scale awareness campaign to inform people that when cars were washed using soaps or liquids on paved surfaces like driveways or streets, the soapy water, along with dirt, grease and oil ran off into stormwater drains. In urban locations in the city, these drains often connect directly with the Yamuna or its tributaries, bypassing STPs.
The officials explained that detergents created foam in the river water that impacted oxygen levels in the water, resulting in fish and other aquatic life being suffocated. Phosphates from soap can cause excessive algal growth whose decay would consume oxygen. This would cause stench, reduce the quality of water and deprive fish populations of oxygen.
Toxic froth on the surface of the Yamuna has become a regular feature now. According to experts, the primary reason for the foam formation is the high phosphate content in the wastewater flowing into the river due to detergents used in dyeing industries, dhobi ghats and households.
A large number of unbranded detergents are used in households and dyeing industries. The wastewater containing high phosphate content reaches the Yamuna through untapped drains. These detergents and other organic matter get deposited in the riverbed. Especially when water falls from a height, say on reaching a barrage as at Okhla, the turbulence and churning results in a thick, white froth.
With BJP having assured Delhi of a clean Yamuna during the assembly polls, it is under pressure to fulfil the difficult election promise because of the multiplicity of factors and agencies involved. The Aam Aadmi Party had faced constant criticism for not meeting its target of cleaning the river by 2025. The Yamuna, once a lifeline for the capital, is now a near-dead waterbody, plagued by severe contamination.