The Delhi government will conduct studies to identify pollution hotspots responsible for frothing in the Yamuna and ascertain the concentration of microplastics in the river and groundwater in the capital, officials said.
It also plans to conduct a study to find out potential barriers to the elimination of single-use plastic items. The Environment Department will engage institutions of repute working in the domain to conduct the three studies which are expected to be completed within six months from the date of assignment of the project.
One of the studies will ascertain the sources and reasons behind the froth on the river surface which reflects the "deadness of the water and nil dissolved oxygen in it". According to officials, the primary reason behind the formation of the toxic foam is high phosphate content in the wastewater.
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Detergents used in dyeing industries, dhobi ghats and households are the major source of phosphates, they said. Wastewater from authorised colonies and settlements containing high phosphate content reach the river through untapped drains. When water falls from a height at a barrage, the turbulence agitates the phosphoric compounds in the river which leads to the formation of froth, officials said.
The government aims to identify major drains accounting for maximum pollution in the Yamuna and hotspots, including colonies and industrial areas. The study will also suggest possible alternatives to household products responsible for frothing.
The 22-kilometre stretch of the river between Wazirabad and Okhla, which is less than two per cent of its length of 1,370 kilometres from Yamunotri to Allahabad, accounts for around 80 per cent of the pollution load in the river.
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The government will also identify and quantify different types of single-use plastic items used in Delhi and estimate their fraction in total plastic waste generation over the last three years. It will categorise SUP items based on their usage and ease of recycling.
In a bid to reduce plastic pollution, India has banned 19 SUP items: earbuds, plastic sticks for balloons, flags, candy sticks, ice-cream sticks, polystyrene (thermocol), plates, cups, glasses, forks, spoons, knives, straws, trays, wrapping or packaging films around sweets boxes, invitation cards, cigarette packets, plastic or PVC banners of less than 100 microns and stirrers.
Plastic carry bags of thickness less than 75 microns are also prohibited under the Plastic Waste Management Rules. Their thickness will have to be increased to 120 microns from December 31.
Plastic wrapping material less than 50 microns in thickness and plastic sachets used for selling and storing tobacco, pan masala and gutkha are also not allowed. Another study will be conducted to ascertain the concentration, distribution and composition of microplastics in the Yamuna and groundwater in the national capital, officials said.
It will identify potential sources of microplastic contamination in groundwater and the river and map major hotspots, they said. Microplastics are fragments of any type of plastic less than 5 mm in size, according to the US National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration and the European Chemicals Agency. They enter natural ecosystems from a variety of sources, including cosmetics, clothing, and industrial processes.
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These are further divided into two types: Primary microplastics -- any plastic fragments or particles that are already 5.0 mm in size or less before entering the environment. These include microfibers from clothing, microbeads, and plastic pellets.
Secondary microplastics arise from the degradation of larger plastic products through natural weathering processes. Sources of secondary microplastics include water and soda bottles, fishing nets, plastic bags, microwave containers and tea bags.
Studies conducted earlier have revealed that microplastics carry bacteria that are pathogenic to human and natural biota, and can enrich antibiotic resistant genes from municipal activated sludge.
(With PTI inputs)
