Angry over the remains of hundreds of Lord Ganesh idols lying on the banks of the Yamuna, the National Green Tribunal (NGT) on Wednesday asked the Delhi government and the civic bodies to explain why discarded material from Ganesh Visarjan had not been removed in a timely manner.
On Monday, The Hindu had reported how hundreds of semi-dissolved idols from the festival had not been cleared by the municipal authorities in violation of strict orders from the NGT. Taking cognizance of the report, a petition was filed in the NGT through advocate Upama Bhattacharjee.
“It has also been pointed out that the biological oxygen demand (BOD) of the river – a measure of organic pollution – reached dangerously high levels during Ganesh Chaturthi. It is humbly submitted that the Yamuna is already dying a slow death and the continuous and unabated immersion of idols is causing complete choking of the river, and is a violation of rules” read the petition.
‘Damage to ecology’
A Bench headed by NGT Chairperson Justice Swatanter Kumar issued notices to the Aam Aadmi Party government, the Delhi Jal Board, the Delhi Development Authority (DDA) and the municipal corporations.
The Bench asked the authorities to show cause as to why the river banks had not been cleared despite considerable passage of time since the festivities ended.
“This situation cannot be justified. Is it fair that idols will be lying in the mud? Why was it not cleaned even after a month of the Ganesh Chaturthi festival?” asked Justice Kumar.
Advocate Sanjay Upadhyaya, appearing for the petitioner in the case, said that the authorities were not enforcing Central Pollution Control Board Guidelines, 2010, on idol immersion and various orders of the Tribunal banning immersion of non-biodegradable idols.
“It is humbly submitted that such indiscriminate immersion of idols into the natural water body not only pollutes the river but also severely damages the ecology in the area,” read the plea, which also sought directions for an action plan with respect to immersions that will take place during the upcoming Durga Puja.
