Delhi government on Monday said it had banned sale, storage, transportation and marketing of soaps and detergents, which did not meet the Bureau of Indian Standards norms, to prevent frothing and pollution in the Yamuna. The order issued by Delhi Pollution Control Committee said municipal corporations, the civic supplies department and the local administration had been asked to ensure compliance and carry out surprise checks around the city. In the order issued on Monday, DPCC said the measures were taken based on suggestions given by NGT-appointed Yamuna Monitoring Committee, informing them of the possible adverse effect an indiscriminate use of soaps and detergents not meeting the standards could have on the river. "There is probability of use of non-permissible chemical substances in the manufacture of soaps and detergents, which are not conforming to BIS standards and may harm aquatic life, water quality and animal's dependence on the river water, said the order. It added that ,YMC in a report dated January 2021 had recommended NGT to direct Delhi government to prohibit the sale, storage, transportation and marketing of detergents not meeting the standards, while also launching awareness campaigns around the possible use of substandard detergents and soaps. DPCC said the suggestions of the report were accepted by the tribunal, asking the chief secretary to oversee its implementation. "Monthly action taken reports of inspections and action taken shall be submitted by the authorised officers to DPCC without fail, the order added. Delhi Police is learnt to have filed a chargesheet in a case of murder of a lab technician, Rinku Sharma who was lynched and stabbed to death by a group of people in outer Delhi's Mangolpuri in February.
