 "'River is highly polluted': Delhi HC denies Chhath Puja at Yamuna Bank")
The Delhi High Court on Wednesday declined to permit Chhath Puja rituals at the Yamuna river bank in Geeta Colony, citing dangerous levels of pollution in the river, reported news portal Live Law.
“It will be very harmful to you. The fact is that the river is so polluted that if you dip into it, there is the likelihood that... a person will suffer harm. We can’t allow that. The river itself is highly polluted,” said a bench comprising Chief Justice Manmohan and Justice Tushar Rao Gedela, rejecting a plea by Purvanchal Nav Nirman Sansthan, seeking to allow the public to perform Chhath Puja at Geeta Colony Ghats.
Representing the Delhi government, counsel Santosh Kumar Tripathi informed the court of the severe pollution levels currently affecting the Yamuna. He stressed that allowing devotees to perform rituals in the river could lead to serious health risks.
“The Yamuna river is highly polluted at this juncture, and if devotees are allowed to perform Chhath Puja on the riverbed, they are likely to fall sick,” Tripathi stated.
Tripathi further highlighted that the Delhi government has designated 1,000 alternative locations for Chhath Puja in the national capital, with ample arrangements in place to accommodate devotees safely.
Rejecting the plea, the high court referenced a recent ruling in the Shabnam Burney case, where it took judicial notice of the alarming pollution levels in the Yamuna. This decision comes as toxic foam continues to float along the river's surface at Kalindi Kunj.
Despite these warnings, the first day of Chhath Puja on Tuesday saw many devotees gathering at the Yamuna for ritual bathing, even as the river was blanketed with thick layers of toxic foam.
Chhath Puja holds deep cultural significance for Delhi’s Purvanchali community, which includes residents from Uttar Pradesh, Bihar, and Jharkhand. This community forms a substantial 30-40 per cent of Delhi’s voter base, with Assembly elections scheduled for early next year.