Around 24,000 idols were immersed in artificial ponds across the national capital on Ganesh Chaturthi and Durga Puja last year, according to a government report submitted to the NGT-appointed Yamuna Monitoring Committee. The ponds measuring 20x30 feet in size and eight feet depth were built by the Delhi government to prevent the Yamuna from getting polluted.
It was the first time devotees immersed the idols in artificial ponds created especially for this purpose since the National Green Tribunal banned idol immersion in the Yamuna in 2015.
As many as 116 artificial ponds were created for idol immersion on Ganesh Chaturthi and 89 on Durga Puja.
"Around 24,000 idols were immersed by 2 lakh people on Ganesh Chaturthi and Durga Puja. After the festivals, all ponds were emptied by Delhi Jal Board and cleaned by municipal corporation concerned," the Divisional Commissioner's Office said in the report.
"This reflects that banning idol immersion in the Yamuna can be effective in preventing contamination of the river," it said.
Earlier, a study conducted by the Delhi Pollution Control Committee showed that immersion of idols in artificial ponds led to a "significant" decrease in pollution load on the Yamuna river in 2019 compared to 2018, when there were no artificial ponds.
(Wiith inputs from PTI)
