Durga Puja: 13 artificial ponds ready for idol immersion in Noida

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The Noida Authority on Monday said it had prepared over a dozen artificial ponds for the immersion of idols at the culmination of Durga Puja on Tuesday.

Devotees can immerse the idols at these selected 13 locations 8 am onwards, with the authority saying that there would also be on-the-spot crane services.

The arrangements are in line with a National Green Tribunal (NGT) order that prohibits immersion of idols or floral wastes in rivers and natural water bodies.

All these artificial ponds are five feet deep with their length and breadth varying at different locations, the authority said.

Two such artificial ponds have been developed near Spice Mall in Sector 25A, which would cover sectors 6, 8, 10, 12, 15, 19, 20, 25, 26, 28, 29, 30, 31, 37 and Ambedkar Nagar, it added.

The other artificial ponds were located near the Ramlila grounds in Sector 46 and Sector 62, behind Shilp Haat in Sector 33, in A block of Sector 71, behind Ajnara Homes in Sector 121, behind the Hyde Park society in Sector 78, in front of the Civitech society in Sector 116, near Prateek Loreal in Sector 120, the authority said.

Other locations include one in Sector 105 in front of the judges' colony, one in Sector 135 and the Bird Sanctuary metro station in Sector 94, it added.

Earlier this month, the Centre imposed a Rs-50,000 fine for immersing idols in the Ganga and its tributaries under a 15-point directive issued to states to check the pollution of the river during festivals.

District officials of the states, including Uttar Pradesh, are required to submit an action-taken report within seven days of festivals such as Durga Puja, Ganesh Chaturthi, Vishwakarma Puja, Dussehra, Deepawali, Chhath Puja and Saraswati Puja.