PATNA: Organising committees of Durga Puja in Bihar will have to pay a fine of Rs 50000 if they immerse the idol in river Ganga. The National Mission for Clean Ganga (NMCG) has mandated this directive with immediate effect.
All the district magistrates (DMs) and the superintendents of police (SPs) of Bihar have been directed via an official letter by the additional chief secretary, home, Amir Subhani to ensure proper and effective compliance.
More than 2000 notified and non-notified ghats are situated along the bank of river Ganga throughout the state. The highest numbers of ghats of river Ganga, in particular, are situated in Patna, Vaishali, Begusarai, Saran, Bhagalpur, Munger, Lakhisarai and Khagaria.
As per the 15-point directions of the NMCG, the immersion of any synthetic colour and chemicals, non-biodegradable materials, plaster of Paris, and plastic or fibre made items and other materials which are sue din making clay-idols in river Ganga have been totally banned.
According to official sources, the NMCG has also sought a detailed report on the compliance of this directive within seven days after the end of festivals like Durga puja, Kali puja and others religious functions in which idols customarily are made and immerged thereafter in rovers especially in Ganga.
Besides Bihar, the same set of directives has been issued to Uttar Pradesh, Uttarakhand, Jharkhand and West Bengal by the NMCG. The government of each of these states has been asked to make alternative arrangement for the immersion of idols.
Meanwhile, the state government had issued an advisory on this asking the organisers of puja pandals to adhere to it and district officials to ensure other alternatives ways.
“Slap a fine of Rs 50000 if a puja pandal violates this order and immerse idols in river Ganga,” the NMCG stated.