The central government has issued a 15-point directive over the immersion of idols in river Ganga or its tributaries during the festivals, including Dussehra, Diwali, Chhath and Saraswati Pooja.
According to The Indian Express, the directive also talks of cordoning off ghats and imposes a fine of Rs 50,000 on those who fail to comply with the order.
The National Mission for Clean Ganga (NMCG) has issued the directive to the chief secretaries of 11 Ganga basin states. It asks for "no immersion into river Ganga and its tributaries and on their banks."
The directive, according to The Indian Express report, was issued after a meeting between the representatives of the states and NMCG officials last month.
The 11 states that have been warned are Uttar Pradesh, Bihar, Jharkhand, West Bengal, Delhi, Himachal Pradesh, Madhya Pradesh, Chhattisgarh, Haryana and Rajasthan.
The directive was issued under Section 5 of the Environment (Protection) Act of 1986.
(With inputs from The Indian Express)
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