Durga idols immersed in Yamuna amid special arrangements

Hundreds of idols of Goddess Durga were today immersed in specially constructed bamboo enclosures along the Yamuna river, set up for the first time in the city by the Delhi government to curb pollution.
The temporary enclosures were set up by the Delhi Pollution Control Committee in an effort to cut pollution from immersion of idols of gods and goddesses.
While in most of the places, the bamboo structures acted as a barrier blocking the flow of the immersed idols, at several places, these structures turned out to be weak and were damaged due to the huge weight and size of the idols.

A separate enclosure was also created for devotees to immerse flowers and other items like decoration pieces.
According to the Delhi Pollution Control Committee, the special arrangement was made for the first time in the city. The Committee had also issued guidelines on idol immersion to the Puja Committees to persuade them to use eco-friendly material for the idols.
"The pollution level in the river goes up significantly after the immersion of hundreds of idols. Large quantity of insoluble wastes like decaying fruits, coconut shells, bamboo frames, decoration items, crumpled flowers, coconut husks, wood, and plastics are consigned to the waters polluting it," said Dr Anil, Kumar Director of Department of Environment, Delhi Government.

"These bamboo structures will act as a barrier and block the flow of the immersed idols in the river. After the immersion process gets over, the wastes will be cleaned up by the irrigation and flood control department and then will be dumped in landfill sites later by the Municipal Corporation authorities," said Kumar.

Permission for immersing idols was granted in six points -- Kudsia Ghat, Boat Club, Haathi ghat, Mayur Vihar Phase I, Ram ghat and Kalindi Kunj.
The Yamuna meets nearly 70 per cent of Delhi's water needs. According to the 2010 data of the Central Pollution Control Board, a 500-km-stretch of the river from Wazirabad to Etawah in Uttar Pradesh was the most polluted.

The 2012 data shows that the most polluted stretch begins about 100 km upstream from Wazirabad, at Panipat in Haryana now.
In 2006, the Delhi High court had directed the MCD to make special permanent enclosures on a PIL seeking direction to maintain the river Yamuna pollution free.
In 2009, the Municipal Corporation had promised the Delhi High Court that it would build 12 enclosures along the Yamuna for the immersion of Durga idols but could not keep their promise.
Even last year, Delhi government had assured the Delhi high court about arrangements for idol immersion being made after it was alleged that the civic authorities had failed to comply with a 2009 undertaking on building enclosures.

The Allahabad High Court also had recently banned the immersion of idols in the Ganga and Yamuna at Allahabad.
BJP has been attacking the Delhi government of total failure in curbing pollution in the Yamuna river. The opposition party has even decided to make it an election issue.