No Immersion of Idols or Puja Items in River Ganga And Its Tributaries, Violators to be Fined Up to Rs 50,000, Says Centre
In a bid to keep river Ganga and its tributaries clean, the centre has issued a 15-point directive, including a fine of Rs 50,000 for idol immersions and cordoning off ghats. This move has been taken ahead of the festive season which includes Dussehra, Dipawali or Diwali, Chhath and Saraswati.
Delhi, October 3: In a bid to keep river Ganga and its tributaries clean, the centre has issued a 15-point directive, including a fine of Rs 50,000 for idol immersions and cordoning off ghats, reported The Indian Express. This move has been taken ahead of the festive season which includes Dussehra, Dipawali or Diwali, Chhath and Saraswati puja. Ganga River Water Unfit for Direct Drinking, Bathing: Pollution Control Board.
“No idol immersion into river Ganga and its tributaries and on their banks,” says the directive issued by the National Mission for Clean Ganga (NMCG) to chief secretaries in Ganga basin states, The Indian Express reported. The directive has been sent to Uttar Pradesh, Uttarakhand, Bihar, Jharkhand, Delhi, West Bengal, Himachal Pradesh, Chhattisgarh, Madhya Pradesh, Haryana and Rajasthan.
The directive, issued under section 5 of The Environment Protection Act, 1986, states that “River Bank and Ghats should be Rs 50,000 fine for idol immersion in Ganga, tributaries: Centre to states cordoned off and barricaded to prevent any stray immersion of idols in the river or its banks. Adequate arrangements should be made for designated idol-immersion sites."
The 11 Ganga basin states have been told to strictly execute the norms against idol immersions and to make alternative arrangements in an eco-friendly manner. According to NMCG official, the numerous immersion of idols and puja samagri (Puja Item) in Ganga and its streams during Ganesh Chaturthi, Durga Puja and Vishwakarma Puja has led to a rise in pollutants.
(The above story first appeared on LatestLY on Oct 03, 2019 03:12 PM IST. For more news and updates on politics, world, sports, entertainment and lifestyle, log on to our website latestly.com).