New Delhi
oi-Ashish Rana
The artificial ponds that were supposed to be ready for idol immersion in Delhi are still not ready at some locations, even as visarjan has already started. A ground visit to the Yamuna near Kalindi Kunj found people openly carrying out idol immersion in the river, while the arrangements meant to keep idols away from the Yamuna were still incomplete.
Despite Delhi government orders and DPCC directions prohibiting idol immersion except at designated locations, artificial ponds remain incomplete at some sites like Kalindi Kunj, leading to direct immersion in the Yamuna river during the ongoing festive season and ahead of Durga Puja.
Ganesh Chaturthi was observed on 14 September, while Vishwakarma Puja was celebrated on 17 September. Yet, days after these festivals, the artificial immersion arrangements at the location were still not ready, even though idol immersion has already begun and will continue during the upcoming festival season, particularly during Durga Puja in October.
The delay is significant because these artificial ponds are not a new arrangement. Delhi has been creating temporary immersion ponds for years to prevent idols and associated waste from entering the Yamuna.
Idols Being Immersed In Yamuna Despite Ban
During a visit to the Kalindi Kunj stretch of the Yamuna, people were seen carrying out idol immersion directly in the river. Several idols could be seen floating in the Yamuna, while multiple others were lying outside the river in areas where the water level was low.
This comes despite the Delhi government’s ban on idol immersion in the Yamuna and other water bodies in the national capital. The Delhi Pollution Control Committee issued directions on 9 September 2026, prohibiting idol immersion except at designated locations and directing urban local bodies to create temporary or artificial immersion ponds near residential areas.
The directions were intended to provide people with an alternative so that idols would not be taken to the Yamuna. But the ground situation at Kalindi Kunj shows people continuing to use the river while the alternative arrangement remains incomplete.
🚨 The Delhi government bans the immersion of idols in the Yamuna and other water bodies in the national capital during Ganeshotsav and Durga Puja.
Rs 50,000 fine if caught immersing idols. pic.twitter.com/abMS0jsNkM
— Indian Tech & Infra (@IndianTechGuide) September 16, 2026
The DPCC directions also provide for environmental compensation of Rs 50,000 for violations and direct Delhi Police to take action against people carrying out prohibited immersion.
At the spot visited, however, there was no adequate visible barricading to prevent people from reaching the river for immersion. The absence of such arrangements leaves the Yamuna directly accessible to people arriving with idols.
Artificial Pond Still Not Ready During Visarjan Season
The delay becomes more serious because the immersion season has already started.
The Ganesh Chaturthi, Vishwakarma Puja and Durga Puja bring idol immersion activity to different parts of Delhi every year. Yet, at Kalindi Kunj, the artificial immersion arrangement was still not operational when people had already begun taking idols to the Yamuna.
Around 90 artificial ponds have reportedly been prepared across Delhi for Ganesh idol immersion this year. However, the existence of artificial ponds at several locations does not address the situation at a site where people are already turning towards the Yamuna because the designated arrangement is not ready.
The purpose of these ponds is straightforward. They are meant to keep idol material, paint, plaster, flowers and other immersion waste away from natural water bodies.
When the artificial pond is not ready but the river remains open and accessible, the very purpose of the arrangement is not strong enough.
The problem is therefore not simply a delay in digging a pond. It directly affects the government’s effort to prevent festival-related pollution from reaching the Yamuna.
Idols And Remains Left In And Around Yamuna
The condition of the Yamuna at Kalindi Kunj also shows the visible impact of the ongoing immersion.
Multiple idols were seen in the river, while several others were lying outside the water. With water levels remaining low in parts of the stretch, idol remains and other material were visible around the riverbank.
The CPCB’s idol-immersion guidelines recognise the environmental risks associated with immersion of idols made with plaster of Paris and painted with chemical colours. Materials such as lead, chromium, cadmium and other chemicals used in paints and dyes can enter water bodies during immersion.
The guidelines therefore promote artificial ponds and require proper collection and disposal of idol remains and other waste after immersion.
The purpose of the artificial pond system is to contain this pollution and prevent it from reaching the Yamuna. But at Kalindi Kunj, idols are already entering the river while the designated alternative is still not ready.
One Year Old Artificial Pond Still Lying In Poor Condition
The problem is not limited to the delay in preparing this year’s immersion arrangements.
The CPCB-based guidelines state that temporary immersion ponds are not meant to remain as permanent polluted water bodies. After immersion, idol remains and other waste are supposed to be removed, the liner is to be taken out and the temporary pit is to be filled with native soil and properly levelled.
An older artificial immersion pond at the location was also found in poor condition. Even after the previous year’s immersion season, the temporary pond had not been properly filled with native soil and levelled as prescribed under the idol-immersion guidelines.
Instead, the old structure was still visible, with stagnant rainwater accumulated inside it.
The accumulation of stagnant water during the monsoon also creates a potential mosquito-breeding environment and raises concerns over the maintenance of a site that was supposed to be temporary.
The condition of the old pond shows another gap in implementation. The arrangements are being created for the next immersion season, while remnants of previous arrangements remain at the same locations.
Yamuna Cleaning Promise And Ground Reality
The situation comes against the backdrop of the BJP’s prominent Yamuna-cleaning campaign during the 2025 Delhi Assembly election.
The BJP’s election manifesto, released on 25 January 2025, promised to clean the Yamuna within three years and said it wanted the river to regain its “former glory”.
After coming to power, the Delhi government announced a 45-point Yamuna rejuvenation action plan covering sewage treatment, drains, waste management and other measures.
But keeping festival-related waste out of the river remains one of the immediate pollution-control measures required on the ground.
At Kalindi Kunj, the situation is starkly different from the planned system. The government has prohibited direct immersion, artificial ponds are meant to provide an alternative, and a financial penalty has been prescribed for violations. Yet people were still seen entering the Yamuna for visarjan while the artificial immersion arrangement was not ready.
Visarjan Season Has Only Just Begun
The Ganesh Chaturthi immersion period has already passed, and Vishwakarma Puja immersion has also taken place. But the larger immersion season is still ahead.
Durga Puja in October is expected to bring another major wave of idol immersion across Delhi. This means the pressure on designated immersion facilities will increase in the coming weeks.
The artificial ponds were introduced precisely to prevent such festival activity from adding to the Yamuna’s pollution burden.
Yet, at Kalindi Kunj, the ground reality shows idols already entering the river before the designated alternative has been fully prepared.
The Delhi government has made Yamuna rejuvenation a major policy and political priority. It has announced large sewage-treatment projects, drain-cleaning measures and a broader action plan for the river.
But the condition of the Yamuna is also shaped by what happens at its banks every day and during every festival.
At Kalindi Kunj, idols are already in the Yamuna, the artificial immersion arrangement is not ready, and an older immersion pond remains in poor condition with stagnant water.
The festival season has only begun. With Durga Puja still ahead, the artificial ponds will need to be ready before thousands of more idols reach the riverbanks.
