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The Star
4 days ago
- General
- The Star
India's river divers risk health in search for hidden treasures
Items collected by people, who go to the river to hunt for coins and other valuables from the waters of river Yamuna, are kept in a container in New Delhi, India, June 26, 2025. REUTERS/Bhawika Chhabra NEW DELHI (Reuters) -At the crack of dawn, Ramu Gupta slings a blue bag onto his shoulder and heads to the Yamuna River in the Indian capital in search of his fortune. The 67-year-old is one of hundreds of gotakhors, or divers, who go to the river to hunt for coins, trinkets, discarded bottles and shards of metal and wood that can be sold in Delhi's booming scrap market. 'I earn approximately 5,000 Indian rupees ($58) in a month from this,' said Gupta, who spends his days working as a toilet cleaner near the shack where he lives. He saves the extra income for his two grandchildren, hoping to split it between them when they grow up. Hindus consider rivers as holy and pilgrims toss offerings including coins, coconuts and flowers into the water for the "river goddess' who sustains lives by giving water for drinking and irrigation. They regard the Yamuna River, which originates in the Himalayas, as one of the most sacred in India, cremating the dead on its banks and throwing their most precious possessions, including jewellery, into the waters along with their loved ones' ashes. Gupta and his fellow divers swim beneath the polluted waters, often risking their health in their search for riches. He is at the river in the morning and evening seven days a week, and goes to his regular work during the day – a routine that he has followed for 35 years. Arvind Kumar, 29, has been working on the river full time for nearly 12 years. 'There is no fixed income from this kind of work,' said Kumar, who earns up to 600 Indian rupees per day on average, below the government's minimum daily wage of 710 Indian rupees for an unskilled worker. Mostly, the divers collect coins, bottles and plastics. Occasionally they might discover some slivers of gold. More rarely, gold rings and necklaces. Sometimes, they also find bodies, and then the police might call on them to help retrieve them. If they see people carried away by the currents, they might try to rescue them. This makes the divers 'happier than the person rescued,' Gupta said. A devout Hindu, Gupta said he was not afraid of the river because he had the protection of 'Mata Rani', the Hindu mother goddess. 'So why be scared?" he asked. 'If she wants, I will die, if she wants me to live, she'll save me.' ($1 = 85.85 Indian rupees) (Reporting by Bhawika Chhabra; Writing by Gopal Sharma; Editing by Kate Mayberry)
Straits Times
4 days ago
- Straits Times
India's river divers risk health in search for hidden treasures
Find out what's new on ST website and app. Items collected by people, who go to the river to hunt for coins and other valuables from the waters of river Yamuna, are kept in a container in New Delhi, India, June 26, 2025. REUTERS/Bhawika Chhabra NEW DELHI - At the crack of dawn, Ramu Gupta slings a blue bag onto his shoulder and heads to the Yamuna River in the Indian capital in search of his fortune. The 67-year-old is one of hundreds of gotakhors, or divers, who go to the river to hunt for coins, trinkets, discarded bottles and shards of metal and wood that can be sold in Delhi's booming scrap market. 'I earn approximately 5,000 Indian rupees ($58) in a month from this,' said Gupta, who spends his days working as a toilet cleaner near the shack where he lives. He saves the extra income for his two grandchildren, hoping to split it between them when they grow up. Hindus consider rivers as holy and pilgrims toss offerings including coins, coconuts and flowers into the water for the "river goddess' who sustains lives by giving water for drinking and irrigation. They regard the Yamuna River, which originates in the Himalayas, as one of the most sacred in India, cremating the dead on its banks and throwing their most precious possessions, including jewellery, into the waters along with their loved ones' ashes. Gupta and his fellow divers swim beneath the polluted waters, often risking their health in their search for riches. He is at the river in the morning and evening seven days a week, and goes to his regular work during the day – a routine that he has followed for 35 years. Top stories Swipe. Select. Stay informed. Singapore July BTO launch to have over 4,600 balance flats, 2 BTO projects with under than 3-year wait Singapore Baby died after mum took abortion pills and gave birth in toilet; coroner records an open verdict Singapore Acute psychiatry services to be expanded across all healthcare clusters: MOH Singapore Alleged Toa Payoh cat killer and abuser handed new charge of torturing sixth cat Singapore 'Kpods broke our marriage, shattered our children': Woman on husband's vape addiction Singapore Asia-Pacific will need over 230k new pilots, 250k aircraft maintenance technicians by 2042: ICAO chief Business Tycoon Robert Kuok's daughter Kuok Hui Kwong appointed CEO of Shangri-La Asia Multimedia Telling the Singapore story for 180 years Arvind Kumar, 29, has been working on the river full time for nearly 12 years. 'There is no fixed income from this kind of work,' said Kumar, who earns up to 600 Indian rupees per day on average, below the government's minimum daily wage of 710 Indian rupees for an unskilled worker. Mostly, the divers collect coins, bottles and plastics. Occasionally they might discover some slivers of gold. More rarely, gold rings and necklaces. Sometimes, they also find bodies, and then the police might call on them to help retrieve them. If they see people carried away by the currents, they might try to rescue them. This makes the divers 'happier than the person rescued,' Gupta said. A devout Hindu, Gupta said he was not afraid of the river because he had the protection of 'Mata Rani', the Hindu mother goddess. 'So why be scared?" he asked. 'If she wants, I will die, if she wants me to live, she'll save me.' ($1 = 85.85 Indian rupees) REUTERS
Straits Times
14-06-2025
- General
- Straits Times
'In shock': British Indians mourn crash victims at London vigil
People hold candles as they attend a vigil for the victims of an Air India Boeing BA.N 787-8 Dreamliner which crashed during take-off from an airport in Ahmedabad, in New Delhi, India, June 14, 2025. REUTERS/Bhawika Chhabra A man prepares to remove the wreckage of the Air India Boeing (BA.N) 787-8 Dreamliner aircraft, which crashed during take-off from an airport, in Ahmedabad, India June 14, 2025. REUTERS/Amit Dave A police officer stands in front of the wreckage of an Air India aircraft, bound for London's Gatwick Airport, which crashed during take-off from an airport in Ahmedabad, India June 12, 2025. REUTERS/Adnan Abidi LONDON - Dozens of members of Britain's Indian community gathered at a Hindu temple in London on Saturday for a vigil mourning the victims of this week's Air India crash, many of whom had personal connections to the temple. Leaders from the Hindu, Sikh, Jain, Muslim, Parsi, Zoroastrian and other communities offered their prayers, as those in attendance, hands folded, recited chants. A representative of Britain's King Charles read out a message from him and offered Christian prayers. Rajrajeshwar Guruji, head of the Siddhashram Hindu temple in Harrow, likened the grief of those who lost family members in the crash of the London-bound flight to the wait for a loved one's return from an endless journey. "They're just waiting and waiting, now they are not going to come back again," he said in an interview. Guruji, who comes from the state of Gujarat where the plane crashed, said the temple had helped family members in Britain get information about their loved ones. "Some of the members ... I have spoken to them, and ... they don't have the words," he said. "They are in shock." Britain has one of the largest Indian communities outside India, with nearly 1.69 million people - or 3.1% of the population - identifying as ethnically Indian. "We believe that everyone who is born has to go one day. But I hope nobody goes the way these ... passengers, as well as the medical students, have gone," said Harrow Mayor Anjana Patel, who lost a family member. Only one of the 242 passengers and crew on board survived the crash, while others were killed when the plane struck a medical college's hostel. Patel told Reuters that the council was offering grief counselling. "We just cannot bear how people must be feeling," she said. Jyotsna Shukla, 66, said her son's childhood friend was on the plane with his wife and three children. "I feel very bad because he was so young," she said, before breaking down into tears. Among those killed was Vijay Rupani, a former chief minister of Gujarat, who had visited the temple. REUTERS Join ST's Telegram channel and get the latest breaking news delivered to you.
