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Delhi high court refuses to allow Chhath Puja at Yamuna river bank: ‘Very harmful to you’
The Delhi high court refused to allow devotees to perform Chhath Puja at the Yamuna river bank located in Geeta Colony.
The Delhi high court on Wednesday refused to allow devotees to perform Chhath Puja at the Yamuna river bank located in Geeta Colony, expressing concern regarding the high level of pollution in the river.
“It will be very harmful to you. The fact is that the river is so polluted that if you dip into it, there is the likelihood that…… person will suffer harm. We can’t allow that. The river itself is highly polluted,” a bench of chief justice Manmohan and justice Tushar Rao Gedela said.
Delhi government's counsel, Santosh Kumar Tripathi told the high court that the Yamuna river is highly polluted at this juncture, and if the devotees are allowed to perform Chhath Puja on the riverbed, they are likely to fall sick, Live Law reported.
Santosh Kumar Tripathi also told the court that the Delhi government has earmarked 1,000 spots to perform the Chhath Puja in the national capital and sufficient arrangements are made for the same, it added.
Rejecting the plea, the high court noted its recent order in the Shabnam Burney case, in which judicial notice was taken about the fact that pollution in the Yamuna River is at an all-time high.
The Delhi high court ruling comes even as thick toxic foam was seen floating on the Yamuna River in Kalindi Kunj, as the pollution level in the river remains high.
The first day of Chhath Puja on Tuesday saw numerous devotees immerse themselves in the Yamuna River for a ritual bath despite thick layers of toxic foam covering its surface.
Chhath Puja is a significant event for Delhi’s Purvanchali community, which consists of Bhojpuri-speaking residents from Uttar Pradesh, Bihar, and Jharkhand. This community represents 30-40 per cent of the voter base in Delhi, where assembly elections are scheduled for early next year.
