Cuttack, Oct. 5: Goddess Durga and her siblings have been immersed but what has surfaced in its aftermath is pollution threat to Kathajodi river here.
Cheap lead and chrome-based paints that are used to make idols are polluting the water body. According to environmentalists, these elements also pose threat to aquatic creatures as lead and chrome are carcinogenic heavy metals that get dissolved in water.
Earlier idols were made exclusively of clay, which was an eco friendly substance as it easily dissolves in the water. They were painted with organic dyes mostly derived from stones, vegetables, seeds, fruits, sea shells and clay soils. For example, red colour was derived from kumkum seeds and the roots of the jackfruit tree yielded yellow colour.
“These age-old practices have now given way to modern cheap lead and chrome-based paints,” said Akhaya Das, president of Jala Surakhya Mancha.
“Apart from idols, articles like polythene bags, foam cut outs, flowers, food offerings, decoration, metal polish, plastic sheets, cosmetic items also pollute the river,” Das said.
This year 150 organisers celebrated Durga Puja and most idols were made of chrome and lead-based paints. However, Balu Bazar Puja Committee president S.N. Sangneria said: “We still use organic dyes to colour idols.”
Central Pollution Control Board guidelines prohibit use of baked clay, plaster of Paris, toxic and non-degradable chemical paints and colours and prescribes removing of flowers, clothes and decorating materials before idols are immersed. According to the guidelines, urban local bodies should remove the structure within 48 hours of immersion.
“It is up to the district administrations and municipal bodies to spread awareness among Puja committees against use of harmful chemicals and colours,” said an official of State Pollution Control Board.
Cuttack Municipal Corporation (CMC) commissioner Gyana Das said: “Sincere efforts are being taken to enforce the guidelines and ensure minimum water pollution during the immersion of idols at Devigada ghat of Kathajodi river this year.”
“We have deployed over 20 employees to ensure removal of flowers and other decorating materials from the idols before they are immersed. Besides, the civic body has deployed an excavator to ensure speedy removal of the structures and other non-biodegradable items from the water,” the municipal commissioner said.
“Earlier we had asked the Puja committees to use natural or organic colours for their idols to prevent water pollution,” he said.
The issue of pollution of river due to immersion of idols is not limited to Durga Puja or Dussehra. According to conservative estimates, nearly 5,000 small idols and over 500 large community idols that come up every year in the twin cities of Cuttack and Bhubaneswar during the festival season are immersed in the Kathajodi and the Kuakhai rivers.
The festival season starts with Ganesh Puja in September, which is followed by Viswakarma Puja, Bhalkuni Puja, Durga Puja, Kali Puja, Kartikeswar Puja and ends with Saraswati Puja in February.
Additional reporting by Vikash Sharma
