Delhi govt issues revised list of 129 sites for idol immersion

The Delhi government issued on Monday a revised list of 129 sites where artificial ponds have been dug up for immersion of idols during the festive season.

In a bid to reduce the pollution load on the Yamuna river, the Delhi Pollution Control Committee (DPCC) has asked puja organisers to immerse the idols in the artificial ponds built at designated sites across all 11 revenue districts of the national capital.

Of the 129 sites, 15 are in East Delhi, 8 in north, 11 in New Delhi, 7 in central Delhi, 12 in south, 15 in southwest, 16 in northwest, 8 in Shahdara, 10 in northeast, 19 in west and 8 in southeast Delhi.

It has been a tradition to immerse idols in water bodies like rivers, lakes, ponds, wells on festive occasions such as Ganesh Chaturthi, Durga Puja and Saraswati Puja. Consequent pollution in the water bodies has been a matter of grave concern, the DPCC had said in an order issued in July.

Toxic chemicals used in making the idols lead to a serious problem of water pollution. Studies reveal deterioration in water quality in respect to conductivity, bio-chemical oxygen demand and heavy metal concentration due to idol immersion, it had said.

Tests conducted by the Central Pollution Control Board (CPCB) after immersions following Ganesh Puja and Durga Puja in 2018 had revealed that concentration of metals such as lead, chromium, nickel and mercury had shot up alarmingly in the Yamuna, rending it unfit even for bathing.

Earlier, the National Green Tribunal-appointed Yamuna Monitoring Committee had expressed concern over the pollution load on the Yamuna river during the festive season and asked authorities to follow the example of Surat in Gujarat where artificial ponds were created before Ganesh idol immersion in 2018.