The Central govt has issued a 15-point directive, including cordoning off ghats & imposing a fine of Rs 50,000, to prevent the immersion of idols in the Ganga or its tributaries during festivals, including Dussehra, Diwali, Chhath & Saraswati Puja.
The directive has been issued by the National Mission for Clean Ganga (NMCG) to chief secretaries in 11 Ganga basin states. “No idol immersion into river Ganga & its tributaries & on their banks,” says the directive, which was issued after a meeting between representatives of states & National Mission for Clean Ganga (NMCG) officials last month.
Officials from Uttarakhand, Uttar Pradesh, Bihar, Jharkhand & West Bengal were present during the meeting, said sources. Apart from these states, the directive has been sent to Delhi, Himachal Pradesh, Madhya Pradesh, Chhattisgarh, Haryana & Rajasthan.
Sources told News Agency that the officials were told to strictly implement norms against the immersion of idols & disposal of puja material in the Ganga & its tributaries, & to make suitable alternative arrangements in an environmental-friendly manner.
Issued under Section 5 of The Environment (Protection) Act, 1986, the directive states: “River Bank & Ghats should be Rs 50,000 fine for idol immersion in Ganga, tributaries: Centre to states cordoned off & barricaded to prevent any stray immersion of idols in the river or its banks. Adequate arrangements should be made for designated idol-immersion sites within the municipal area or bank of river Ganga & its tributaries by constructing temporary confined ponds with removable synthetic liners at the bottom.”
If states: “All concerned state govt, authority, board or corporation should ensure that there is no use of synthetic material/ non-biodegradable material, Plaster of Paris (POP), baked clay, resin fibers & thermocol for making of idols. Besides, the use of toxic & non-biodegradable chemical dyes or synthetic paints for painting of idols should be strictly prohibited.”
The chief secretaries of the 11 states have been asked to submit an action-taken report within 7 days from the end of each festival. The National Mission for Clean Ganga (NMCG) has also directed that District Magistrates (DM) enforce these directions by ensuring monitoring & enforcement. “If any person violates above directions, then Rs 50,000 as environment compensation should be levied, collected & deposited with State Pollution Control Boards,” the directive states.
According to National Mission for Clean Ganga (NMCG) officials, the large-scale immersion of idols & puja material in the Ganga & its tributaries during festive occasions, such as Ganesh Chaturthi, Vishwakarma Puja, Durga Puja, Diwali, Chhath Puja & Saraswati Puja, has led to an alarming rise in pollutants.
In 2014, the central govt had launched Namami Gange, a flagship initiative “with a Budget outlay of Rs 20,000 crore to accomplish the twin objectives of effective abatement of pollution, conservation & rejuvenation of National River Ganga”. In 2017, the NGT banned the disposal of any waste in the Ganga.
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