GUWAHATI: The Durga Puja celebrations came to an end on Tuesday with the immersion of the idols. With the district administration taking several steps to ensure the smooth conduct of the event, the Pollution Control Board (PCB) has taken steps to ensure the minimum possible impact on the environment, especially on the aquatic ecosystem, because of idol immersion. Officials are keeping an eye on reducing, if not completely prohibiting polythene, thermocol and other non-biodegradable materials being dumped into the water bodies along with the idols. Some other materials including fabrics and other materials also lead to changes in the amounts of dissolved oxygen in the natural water bodies, thus harming the fish and other aquatic life forms.
The department had earlier warned the artistans and the puja committees to use eco-friendly dyes and materials which decompose easily. The use of paints laced with heavy metals like lead, nickel, cadmium, copper, etc. essentially leads to the poisoning of the water bodies and has a massive negative impact on the aquatic life. But despite repeated warnings, some people continue to use such chemicals and express a complete disregard for the environment.
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