Jamshedpur, Oct 27: Civic bodies JNAC along with Tata Steel Utilities (TSUISL ) has engaged a workforce at the Subernarekha ghat to clean the river banks from puja paraphernalia.
The Subernarekha river ghats littered with puja paraphernalia will soon be clean. Jamshedpur Notified Area Committee ( JNAC) and Tata Steel subsidiary, have taken up the cudgels to render them clean.
Like every year the Subernarekha river ghats which falls under JNAC command choked on putrefying Puja paraphernalia- flowers, plastic, cloth and clay- after the immersion of idols on Dashami.
“We have deployed over a dozen workers for the cleansing operation which will continue for 3-4 days. Every year after the immersions, the river ghats get accumulated with wastes like polythene bags , plastics, cloth and flowers . Harmful substances, such as polythene bags and chemical dyes used in idol making is not fit for humans and aquatic life as well. Keeping this in mind began the cleansing operation,” said an official.
“We have provided the earth movers for cleaning up the mess. If the civic body wants we can also provide workers in the cleaning activity,” said the official.
Like every past years this year too the Durga idol immersion has led to the pollution of even the few water bodies of the city, making the water hazardous for use. The experts have expressed their concern over the negligence. There are two major rivers of the city, river Subarnarekha and Kharkai and as these are located close to the town, most of the Durga idols have been immersed in these rivers. For some years now there is a growing awareness about the water pollution caused by the immersion of Durga idols made out of plaster of Paris, in natural water bodies such as lakes, rivers and the sea. Pollution is also caused by the waste generated by the non biodegradable accessories used during the worship.
�Immersion of idols, flowers and other material of religious significance lead to pollution and a lot of these things block the filters of the water treatment plants. Because the quantity of pollutants is so high,� noted a pollution board official.
Senior officials of Jharkhand State Pollution Control Board said that as per norms, traditional clay should be used for making idols rather than baked clay. It also prohibits the use of toxic and non-degradable chemical dyes and instead prescribes natural colours used in food products.