The air quality in Delhi worsened on Monday, with the Air Quality Index (AQI) hitting 349 at 8 a.m., categorized as ‘very poor.’

Shakurpur recorded an AQI of 346, India Gate recorded 309, and the AQI at Safdarjung stood at 307, all classified under the ‘very poor’ category.

In addition to the worsening air quality, the condition of the Yamuna river further deteriorated, with toxic foam floating on its surface.

Environmental activist Vimlendu K. Jha attributed the river’s poor condition to the unchecked flow of untreated wastewater into it.

“This is an absolute travesty of environmental governance in Delhi,” Jha said. “While the Delhi government often tries to blame neighboring states, the primary cause of the Yamuna’s pollution are the 17 drains emptying directly into the river.”

Professor Sachchida Nand Tripathi, Dean of the Kotak School of Sustainability at the Indian Institute of Technology, Kanpur, said: “The presence of froth in the Yamuna is extremely hazardous. It results from the high concentration of surfactants from soaps, detergents, and other untreated pollutants being discharged into the river.”

(With ANI input)