With the festive season beginning from Ganesh Puja, the Odisha State Pollution Control Board (OSPCB) has imposed restrictions on immersion of idols in rivers, ponds and other water bodies to curb water pollution.
like earlier years, the OSPCB has written to all district Collectors asking them to seriously enforce the restrictions/guidelines imposed earlier vis-à-vis immersion of idols.
They were asked to ensure that places of immersion are not polluted and are cleaned immediately after immersions.
It may be noted that the State Government had issued an order on July 22, 2010 to all Collectors, puja committees and the OSPCB asking them to create an artificial pond in the riverbed for immersion of idols. Though four years have elapsed, neither the administration nor the puja committees have implemented it.
Immersion of hundreds of idols continues mindlessly in rivers, especially Kathajodi, Kuakhai, Daya and Gangua, during the puja season.
The situation is no different in other urban areas of the State too. After immersions, water bodies get polluted with high levels of copper, zinc, nickel, chromium, lead and other chemicals.
While Biochemical Oxygen Demand (BOD), which is the amount of dissolved oxygen needed by aerobic biological organisms in a body of water to break down organic material present in a given water sample at certain temperature over a specific time period, should be a maximum of one milligram, it often reaches 12 milligram after emersions and causes serious concern.
A person, if pollutes water, is liable for a penalty of Rs 10,000 and imprisonment of three months as per the Water (Prevention and Control of Pollution) Act, an official said.
The Central Pollution Control Board (CPCB) had issued a notice to the OSPCB Secretary on August 12 this year asking it to see that water bodies are not polluted due to immersion of idols.