The State Government has directed all officials involved with the work of making arrangements for Ganesh immersions to follow the stringent guidelines of Central Pollution Control Board (CPCB) for protecting pollution of water resources.
Principal Secretary Housing and Environment N Baijendra Kumar on Tuesday issued a circular to all district collectors, SPs and commissioners of municipal corporations on the guidelines issued by CPCB regarding Ganesha immersions.
As per the circular, the quality of water resources is affected by immersions besides causing a threat to aquatic life, according to an official press release issued here on Tuesday.
The CPCB guidelines states that the Pooja items such as flowers, paper and decorative items made of plastic must be segregated during the Ganesh immersion and should be properly disposed off. It also stated that one should not burn the Pooja items near the place of immersion. Moreover, adequate security arrangements must also be made near the place of immersion by the local administration.
The mud of the idols be utilised for land fills. The immersion is usually carried out in rivers and lakes. Instead, the same could be carried out by preparing temporary bunds and ponds, it stated. The authorities need to inform the general public regarding the arrangements being made for the immersion programme so that sufficient awareness could be created.
It must be ensured in future that the idols are made of natural clay while discouraging use of plaster of Paris and Baked clay.
The circular also stated that a Public Interest litigation is already pending for disposal with National Green Tribunal, Bhopal Bench on immersion issues.