RANCHI: The Jharkhand State Pollution Control Board (JSPCB) has issued strict environmental guidelines for Puja committees, ahead of Durga Puja, asking them to avoid idols made of Plaster of Paris (PoP), thermocol and resin fibre. Only eco-friendly idols made of natural clay shall be used.
Instructions have been issued to prioritise artisans authorised by the concerned municipal body for the making and procurement of idols.
The board has defined the responsibilities of puja committees and municipal bodies regarding everything from the large number of pandals being erected in cities like Ranchi, Jamshedpur, Bokaro, Dhanbad, Hazaribagh, and Palamu, to the immersion of idols.
Special arrangements have also been mandated for managing waste generated at Durga Puja pandals. It is compulsory to place three types of waste bins at each pandal to ensure the separate collection of organic waste, non-organic waste, and other puja materials.
Instructions have been issued to segregate flowers, leaves, cloth and decorative items used during the rituals prior to idol immersion.
The board has also stated that puja materials, clothes and decorative waste must not be left on the banks of rivers, ponds or lakes after immersion.
Local bodies have been directed to clean immersion sites and remove residual materials within 24 hours of the immersion process. Burning solid waste at the sites is also prohibited.
Where immersion is to take place in rivers or ponds, the local administration may construct temporary artificial tanks if required; arrangements must be made to ensure that water from these tanks is released into the main water body only after its quality has been tested following the ritual.
