In New Delhi the city government has assured the Delhi High Court that it has made arrangements for idol immersion in the Yamuna at the end of Durga Puja Oct 24.
The government said this in an affidavit after it was alleged by petitioner NGO Tapas that civic agencies had failed to comply with a 2009 undertaking on building enclosures for idol immersion by 2011.
On Friday Justice Rajiv Shakdher asked the authorities to file by mid-November a compliance report on the court’s 2006 direction on the issue for keeping the river clean.
The government affidavit said, “The irrigation and flood control department has made enclosures at Ram Ghat, Kudesai Ghat, Geeta Ghat and Kalindi Kunj for the immersion of idols and proper signages have been put up indicating danger, deep water ahead, entry prohibited in Hindi and English.”
It also said, “A meeting was held on Oct 12 at the level of secretary (environment) regarding construction of designated enclosures for immersion of idols in the Yamuna”
The court’s order came on a contempt petition filed by the NGO that told the court that “despite the 2006 order of this court and also the undertaking given by the MCD to the court in 2009 for construction of 13 special permanent enclosures, only four temporary enclosures had been made by the agency so far”.
The affidavit said that the Delhi Development Authority would make arrangements of lighting and provide other infrastructure, while the civic agencies would provide amenities including toilets and cleaning up the river banks after idol immersion.
As per the affidavit, police would manage traffic and maintain law and order at the sites during the idol immersion. Durga Puja shall end with immersion of Goddess Durga’s idol on Mahadashami.
