New Delhi

“Already polluted Yamuna being degraded further”

Photo: Sushil Kumar Verma

Spot the river: This is how the Yamuna – the lifeline of the Capital -- looks like on Friday, a day after scores of Durga idols were immersed into the already polluted river on Vijay Dashmi.

NEW DELHI: As hundreds of idols of Goddess Durga were immersed into the Yamuna on Vijay Dashmi day, environmentalists and water conservationists dismissed as “hogwash” assertions made by government bodies and civic agencies about their efforts to save the dying river.

The reason for their anger was the failure of the authorities to arrange for immersion of the idols at 13 locations that had been identified across the city for the purpose. “Although 13 locations have been chosen for immersion of flowers, idols and other materials of religious sanctity, no efforts have been made to allow immersion at these selected places. The already polluted Yamuna is being degraded further,” said Vinod Jain of non-government organisation Tapas.

Mr. Jain, who had filed several petitions for securing the protection of the river from pollutants and effluents, said the designated enclosures were to be built by the Municipal Corporation of Delhi and maintained by them

“All that the Government has done so far is release money for one pilot project by the Delhi Development Authority,” he said. “In October 2006, the Delhi High Court had asked the stakeholders to ensure that there are separate enclosures for immersion of religious idols and materials; in March 2007, the Environment Department of the Delhi Government in an affidavit informed the Court that 13 locations have been selected and subsequently said that these will be ready by the time of the festival in 2008. But nothing has been done,” he added.

According to Mr. Jain, the Delhi Pollution Control Committee has already listed specifications for these enclosures. “The authorities concerned were told that the enclosures should be temporary confined ponds or bunds. Once the idols are immersed, checks have to be carried out to ascertain the turbidity of the water and the toxicity of the immersed contents. Treatment has to be carried out where ever necessary,” he said.

Experts have been cautioning against immersion of religious material including flowers into the river as they decompose and increase the levels of biological oxygen demand in the water. Toxic paints, clothes, plastic and chemicals often used to decorate the idols are known to destroy aquatic life apart from polluting the water.

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