The Delhi
High Coirt on Wednesday declined to permit Chhath Puja rituals at the
Yamuna river bank in Geeta Colony, citing dangerous levels 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... a person will suffer harm. We
can’t allow that. The river itself is highly polluted,” said a bench comprising
Chief Justice Manmohan and Justice Tushar Rao Gedela, rejecting a plea by
Purvanchal Nav Nirman Sansthan, seeking to allow the public to perform Chhath
Puja at Geeta Colony Ghats.
Representing
the Delhi government, counsel Santosh Kumar Tripathi informed the court of the
severe pollution levels currently affecting the Yamuna. He stressed that
allowing devotees to perform rituals in the river could lead to serious health
risks.
“The Yamuna river is highly polluted at this
juncture, and if devotees are allowed to perform Chhath Puja on the riverbed,
they are likely to fall sick,” Tripathi stated.
Tripathi
further highlighted that the Delhi government has designated 1,000 alternative
locations for Chhath Puja in the national capital, with ample arrangements in
place to accommodate devotees safely.
Rejecting
the plea, the high court referenced a recent ruling in the Shabnam Burney case,
where it took judicial notice of the alarming pollution levels in the Yamuna.
This decision comes as toxic foam continues to float along the river's surface
at Kalindi Kunj.
Despite
these warnings, the first day of Chhath Puja on Tuesday saw many
devotees gathering at the Yamuna for ritual bathing, even as the river was
blanketed with thick layers of toxic foam.
Chhath
Puja holds deep cultural significance for Delhi’s Purvanchali community, which
includes residents from Uttar Pradesh, Bihar, and Jharkhand. This community
forms a substantial 30-40 per cent of Delhi’s voter base, with Assembly
elections scheduled for early next year.