Varanasi to seek HC exemption on idol immersion in Ganga

Varanasi/Allahabad/Kanpur/Lucknow: A day before the Uttar Pradesh government submits a compliance report regarding idol immersion in Allahabad High Court, the district administration of Varanasi said on Thursday that it has conveyed to the secretary, urban development, that making an alternative site available for idol immersion in Varanasi is not possible this year.
Saying that the district administration has apprised the government of the concerns, DM Varanasi said the government will file an affidavit in Allahabad High Court on behalf of the Varanasi administration on Friday.
Speaking to TOI, Varanasi DM Pranjal Yadav said, “The HC’s directive is to create ditches or ponds for immersion of idols without changing traditional routes of immersion processions. Creating new pond or ditches near the Ganga is impossible in Varanasi due to nature of constructions and also unavailability of land.”
Yadav also said that the district administration will have to identify alternative routes for immersion processions in case the administration were to bars puja organizers from immersing their idols into the river. “Changing the routes without taking puja organizers in confidence can lead to law and order problem. As a result, the administration has sought a relaxation for at least this year,” he added.
In view of HC’s directive, the Varansi administration had tried to explore alternative sites when a list of 30 ponds and kunds of different localities was prepared. But, taking idols at these ponds and kunds was a difficult task as the routes leading most of these waterbodies are narrow and majority of them are located in mixed populated and communally sensitive areas. Due to engagements in parliamentary election and later by-election works the officials could not continue the exercise of searching alternative sites for immersion process.
Just before the commencement of Navratri, the Varanasi district administration sought a report from local intelligence unit. In its report the LIU clearly mentioned that any attempt to change traditional routes of immersion processions and sites is likely to lead to law and order problems. This report also contained many other practical problems that can be faced in changing immersion sites. On the basis of same intelligence report the DM office compiled a report for forwarding it to the secretary (urban development). The DM confirmed that this report has already been sent to state government on Wednesday and the affidavit will be filed to HC on Friday.
In Allahabad, however, DM P Guruprasad, said, “The administration has made some ponds and pits about 450 metres away from the embankment of the Ganges in keeping with the CPCB orders. The Allahabad High Court has already approved the Allahabad’s plan for idol immersion. We will go ahead with it as per plan.” The DM also said that in a meeting with puja organizers on Wednesday, certain groups raised concerns about the quantity of water available in the pits. “We will ensure that additional water is made available at the time of idol immersion,” Guruprasad said.
In Allahabad, work of digging of an area of 5000 square metre between Kali Sadak and Triveni Marg is underway and it would be completed by September 30. Once the pond is ready, the administration will commence the work for installing high-powered lights, providing proper illumination in the area in the next two days.
The Kanpur district administration is cleaning and de-silting the pits for immersion of idols after successful immersion of Ganesha idols during the Ganpati festival. “Labourers as well as machines have been pressed into service to clean all the 12 ponds situated on the banks of the Ganga. We hope that the work would be finished by October 1,” said Kanpur ADM (City) Avinash Singh.
He informed that keeping in mind bigger idols, dimension of ponds has been increased. During the immersion of Ganesha idols, size of the pond was 60X40 X 5 feet but this time the depth and length has been increased. All the ponds would be in the shape of swimming pool (shallow to depth) and will be ready by September 30 when they would be filled with Ganga water.
The Allahabad High Court is scheduled to hear an application relating to the issue of immersion of idols, on Friday. 4
On September 19, the High Court had directed the Allahabad administration to comply with orders it had issued in 2013. The Allahabad DM said, “Last year, we were unable to follow the guidelines because the orders were issued only two days before the immersion was due. This year, however, we have made the necessary arrangements and will proceed according to the CPCB guidelines.”
On Friday, the state government will also give a status update on the release of funds for creating alternative arrangements for idol immersion. The court had also directed the state government to produce the blueprint of the alternative sites for 21 districts with regard to immersion of idols on September 26. It is relevant to mention that these districts are situated on rivers Ganga and Yamuna.
As suggested by amicus curie Arun Kumar Gupta, the court had also directed that the regulations framed by the Central Pollution Control Board would be followed by the district administration in the immersion of idols in both the rivers.
The Central Pollution Control Board had directed that the flowers, polythene, synthetic materials should not go into the water bodies, i.e., rivers. Further, the natural colours have to be used instead of synthetic colours in the idols. In addition to it, the idols should be made by clay and not by plaster of Paris.