Yamuna Foams Again. Now, A Swedish Firm Wants To Help Delhi Clean It

New Delhi: The Yamuna is foaming again. And as Delhi struggles to keep sewage and sludge out of its river, a Swedish company has shown interest in joining the clean-up effort.Representatives of the company, which specialises in sewage sludge management, met Delhi Water Minister and Delhi Jal Board Chairman Parvesh Verma at the Delhi Secretariat, the government said on Wednesday.The discussions are still at an early stage, with the two sides exploring possible areas of cooperation.The timing is hard to miss.On Monday, thick white froth was back on the Yamuna near Kalindi Kunj, and workers were out clearing it. Foam has become a familiar sight at this stretch, particularly during winter, with detergents and untreated sewage entering the river contributing to the problem.But the trouble runs much deeper than what floats on the surface.A Central Pollution Control Board (CPCB) study released last month identified 12 drains as major pollution hotspots. Waste was found dumped at 32 locations, while arrangements to stop dirty water from reaching the river were inadequate or not working properly at 11 drains.And the river gets dirtier as it travels through Delhi.At Palla, where the Yamuna enters the capital, a key measure of organic pollution was within the bathing-water limit in September. By the time the river reached ISBT Bridge, the reading had shot up to 30 mg per litre, ten times the prescribed limit.The measure, called biochemical oxygen demand (BOD), indicates the level of organic pollution in water. The higher the number, the greater the pollution.Delhi Looks Abroad For SolutionsThe Delhi government says it wants technology and expertise from across the world to help clean the Yamuna."Cleaning the Yamuna requires the best available technology, global expertise and sustained efforts," Verma said.The minister added that the plan was not just to clean the river but also to improve the capital's wider water and sewage management system.Foreign technology is already being used.In January, Delhi deployed a Finnish-made Watermaster machine in the Najafgarh drain to scoop out accumulated silt, sludge and weeds.Verma has said the drain accounts for nearly 70 per cent of the pollution entering the Yamuna, making it a major focus of the clean-up drive.Japan is another country helping Delhi tackle its water problems.On October 22, four water and sewage facilities built or upgraded with assistance from the Japan International Cooperation Agency (JICA) were inaugurated. Together, the projects cost about Rs 1,810 crore and include sewage treatment facilities at Okhla, Rithala and Kondli.The Asian Development Bank is also associated with a proposed Rs 2,574-crore project to improve water supply in areas served by the Wazirabad treatment plant.The BJP led-Delhi government has said it aims to clean the Yamuna's Delhi stretch by May 2029.