Navratri offerings: Stop devotees from polluting canals, 3 Haryana DCs urged to act

Tribune News Service

Ravinder Saini

Rohtak, April 8

Activists of Suno Nahro Ki Pukar, a social outfit working to make people aware of keeping canals clean, have written to the Deputy Commissioners (DCs) of three districts — Rohtak, Jhajjar and Sonepat — urging them to take necessary steps to prevent devotees from disposing religious material into canals in the wake of the ‘Navratri’ festival, which will begin on Tuesday.

“The Jawaharlal Nehru and Bhalaut Sub-Branch canals flow towards Rohtak and Jhajjar from Sonepat. Their water is used for drinking and irrigation purposes but unmindful of that, people dump idols of deities, havan material, food and other religious items in the canals during the Navratri festivities,” said Jasmer Singh, convener of the outfit. He said the dumping of such material and other waste products led to the contamination of water which was supplied to a large number of houses for drinking. He said they had written to the DCs of three districts requesting them stop the practice in their area and carry out a special campaign to make people aware of the consequences.

JawaharLal Nehru, Bhalaut canals hit

The Jawaharlal Nehru and Bhalaut Sub-Branch canals flow towards Rohtak and Jhajjar from Sonepat. Their water is used for drinking and irrigation purposes but unmindful of that, people dump idols of deities, havan material, food, etc., in the canals during the Navratri festivities. — Jasmer Singh, convener, Suno Nahro Ki Pukar

“Our volunteers have been ensuring cleanliness of both the JLN and BSB canals in Rohtak for the past over 2.5 years by devoting more than three hours daily. We have even been educating people about the ill-effects of putting idols and other materials in the canal by holding placards in hands and organising lectures and seminars in educational institutes,” said Jasmer.

Deepak Chhara, another activist, said that besides idols, devotees also threw bangles, combs, mehandi, mirrors, plastic bags, pictures of gods and goddess. “These things dissolve in water and release many types of chemicals which cause many diseases,” he said.

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