Vegetables and fruits sold by the wayside along the Yamuna may look fresh and tempting. However, worried over traces of toxic metals found in them, the Delhi Government is likely to ban farming along the river.
Taking note of a World Health Organisation study that dubbed Delhi as one of most the polluted cities in the world, Lieutenant-Governor Najeeb Jung had set up a high-level committee to suggest both short and long-term measures to check the growing air and water pollution in the city. As per the mandate, the committee, sources said, also deliberated on the farming of vegetables and fruits along the 22-km stretch of the river in the city. With scientific study conducted in the past finding presence of highly toxic metals in the vegetables produced here, officials said though a final decision is yet to be taken, the committee might recommend banning farming on the banks of the Yamuna.
“Vegetables and fruits are grown in several pockets on both banks of the river. However, reports from institutes like The Energy and Resources Institute (TERI) have shown toxic metals entering the food chain through vegetables and fruits grown along the Yamuna. However, several people are involved in agricultural practices. If farming is banned, they need to be provided with alternative sources of livelihood. Growing flowers for local consumption could be one option,” an official said.
A report published by TERI in 2012 had said that levels of nickel, manganese and lead in the Yamuna waters were found to be higher than the international aquatic water quality criteria for fresh water.
The study was based on 13 samples collected along the 22-km stretch of the Yamuna in Delhi. The findings had revealed that green leafy vegetables contained the highest amount of metals. Samples were also collected from Dayalpur and Chandawali villages in Ballabhgarh district of Haryana, about 25 km from Delhi, to compare with those collected from the urban sector.
The study revealed that vegetables grown in the floodplains of the Yamuna showed higher levels of heavy metal contamination than those cultivated in rural areas. The study identified Wazirabad and Okhla barrage as the hotspots for soil contamination.
