The Karnataka State Pollution Control Board (KSPCB) has urged citizens to celebrate this year’s Gauri-Ganesh festival in an environmentally friendly manner, in line with its 20 July 2016 notification prohibiting the immersion of plaster of Paris (PoP) and painted idols in natural water bodies.
Under Section 33(a) of the Water (Prevention and Control of Pollution) Act, 1974, immersion of such idols in lakes, rivers, canals, wells, or any water source is banned. Violations will attract legal action under the IPC.
The public is advised to:
Use unpainted clay or natural idols.Immerse idols only at home or at designated immersion points.
Segregate floral and organic waste and hand it over to municipal collection teams. Adhere to the Noise Pollution (Regulation and Control) Rules, 2000 in public pandals. Avoid single-use plastic and banned plastic materials; violations will incur fines. Deputy Commissioner Venkat Raja appealed to the public to uphold these guidelines to protect the environment.
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