With over 200 puja associations spread across the city, hundreds of idols were immersed in the already polluted river Two years after the National Green Tribunal (NGT) had banned the immersion of idols made from non-biodegradable material in Yamuna during festivities, the water body on Saturday was left full of filth as the 10-day celebration of Durga Puja and Dussehra concluded. Every year the devotees descend on the banks of river Yamuna in Kalindi Kunj and Geeta Ghat after Vijay Dashami for immersion procession. People were disappointed at the low water levels which made it impossible for several idols to be immersed completely. In the barricaded area at Yamuna as water level was just between 2 and 3 feet. River Yamuna is the second largest river of the country and the second most polluted too. The river was already covered in half-melted pieces of Ganesh Idols after last month's procession of Ganesh Chaturthi festival and the immersion of the idols added more to the pollution. More than 200 Puja associations releases the idols of Durga, Lakshmi, Saraswati, Ganesha and Kartikeya into the Yamuna. This year, 215 puja associations were registered in the Joint Puja Procession Committee which lead to immersion of hundreds of idols in the Yamuna and the lack of water made the unwanted aspect of the immersion even more visible. “Sourav Bhardwaj, Aam Aadmi Party’s MLA had decided to give us a place for immersion in Delhi Jal Board but it did not work as it was a last minute plan. But we have decided to come up with a solution by next year to save the Yamuna from pollution”, said Sarbasis Bhattacharya, organizer of a pandal. “Also, all the puja associations pay for cleaning the pollution”, he added. Seven people have been feared drowned, during the procession of immersion. Out of seven only six bodies have been recovered by now. All the bodies are to be identified and rescue operations are underway at all the immersion sites to check if any more people feared death.

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