Delhi Police have registered a first information report against unidentified people after a large number of dead fish were found floating in the Yamuna near Sonia Vihar in northeast Delhi, bringing a fresh pollution and river-management concern into focus ahead of Chhath पूजा.
The FIR was registered at Wazirabad police station on a complaint from the Irrigation and Flood Control Department, according to officials cited by Navbharat Times. A senior Delhi Police officer said the complaint led to the case being filed under provisions related to mischief and spreading false information. The report did not identify the people allegedly responsible or provide details of any arrests.
Videos showing dead fish floating near Sonia Vihar appeared on social media two days before the FIR was registered. The images prompted concern about possible water pollution and led to allegations that toxic waste may have entered the river. However, the precise cause of the fish deaths has not been established, according to the report.
The case has also become part of a political dispute over the condition of the Yamuna and the government’s efforts to clean it. Delhi Water Minister Parvesh Verma has accused the Aam Aadmi Party of placing dead fish in the river to discredit the Bharatiya Janata Party government and its river-cleaning efforts. The report did not provide evidence supporting that allegation.
The AAP has rejected the accusation and questioned the government’s claims about cleaning the Yamuna. The party has called for an investigation into the pollution incident. With the cause of the fish deaths still unclear, the competing claims have added a political dimension to an episode that also raises questions about monitoring, enforcement and accountability along Delhi’s riverfront.
The timing has increased public concern. The incident occurred shortly before Chhath पूजा, when large numbers of devotees are expected to visit ghats along the Yamuna for worship. The report did not state whether authorities had issued restrictions, advisories or instructions for devotees at the affected location.
The FIR marks a police response to the discovery and the complaint submitted by the civic department, but it does not establish how the fish died or whether the river was contaminated by toxic discharge. Those questions remain central to determining whether the incident resulted from pollution, deliberate action or another cause. The next steps will depend on the investigation initiated after the department’s complaint.
