Delhi: AAP for probe into Yamuna fish deaths

Delhi AAP president Saurabh Bharadwaj on Friday demanded an inquiry into the deaths of fish in the Yamuna, alleging that water samples had not yet been collected to determine the cause. A video showing a large number of dead fish floating in the river near Sonia Vihar in northeast Delhi surfaced on social media on Thursday, triggering fresh concerns over Yamuna pollution.

The BJP, meanwhile, accused AAP leaders and workers of dumping dead fish into the river to malign the Delhi government and its efforts to clean the Yamuna. Addressing a press conference, Bharadwaj alleged that pollution levels in the river had increased and claimed that a water treatment plant was shut down around the time the fish deaths were reported.

He sought an investigation into whether chemicals allegedly used in the Delhi Government’s cruise service on the river could have contributed to the deaths. He demanded that water samples be collected and tested to establish the cause of the incident.

Bharadwaj said he had spoken to an official of the Flood and Irrigation Department, who told him that the issue did not fall under the department’s jurisdiction. The official also said he had not witnessed anyone dumping dead fish into the river, Bharadwaj claimed.

Questioning the BJP’s allegations, he asked Water Minister Parvesh Verma to disclose who had witnessed AAP leaders dumping dead fish into the Yamuna. “Now, I want to ask Parvesh Verma who has seen or told him that any AAP leader dumped dead fish into the Yamuna,” Bharadwaj said.

He questioned the functioning and placement of air quality monitoring stations, and alleged that some stations were located in green areas, while water was sprinkled near monitoring stations in pollution hotspots such as Jahangirpuri, potentially affecting pollution readings. He called for scrutiny of the monitoring arrangements.