Idol Immersions shall not be allowed during the forthcoming Durga Puja in any public place : The Delhi Pollution Control Committee

Ahead of the Durga Puja celebrations, Delhi's pollution control committee on Wednesday banned the dumping of idols in any body of water and asked people to soak them in their homes in buckets or pails. containers, stating that the resulting pollution in rivers and lakes was a cause for concern. . “Idol dips will not be allowed during the next Durga Puja in any public place, including the Yamuna River or any other body of water / public place / ponds, Ghats. One notification mentioned that.

He said that on festive occasions such as Durga Puja, it was a tradition to submerge idols in bodies of water such as rivers, lakes, ponds, wells, among others, and the resulting pollution. of these water bodies was a source of concern.

Studies conducted to assess deterioration of water quality due to immersion of idols reveal deterioration in water quality with respect to conductivity, biochemical oxygen demand and heavy metal concentration », Declared the organization. It also banned the use of plaster of paris (PoP). or fired clay to create idols and insisted on using only natural materials such as traditional clay, noting that the chemical paints, colors and dyes applied to these PoP idols contain dangerous chemicals that have harmful effects on aquatic life, which, when consumed by humans, can cause cancer and other diseases, including respiratory ailments, skin infections, among others.

It can be noted that the violation of the provisions enacted in application of article 33 A of the water law (prevention and control of pollution) of 1974, or of its regulations, is punished by article 41 of this law. which provides for imprisonment. up to six years and with a fine, ”he said. He also said that upstream of a directive issued by the National Mission for the Cleanliness of the Ganges (NMCG) on September 16, 2019 are required to pay 50,000 rupees as environmental compensation.