Environment related issues are yet to find a place in the heart of the common man.

During the festive period beginning with the 10-day celebrations of Ganesh Chaturthi and ending with Divali, diverse religious activities lead to a rise in pollution.

Festivals are significant contributors to water and air pollution and have become a cause of concern, say environmentalists.

During Ganesh Chaturthi and Durga Puja celebrations, thousands of idols are immersed into water bodies, causing the death of thousands of fish and other species.

“Most of the aquatic fauna died due to pollution caused by idols and puja material immersed in water bodies,” says Prof M.S. Johal of the Department of Zoology, Panjab University, Chandigarh.

“The chemicals and metals in the idols and puja material deplete the oxygen level in the water body, making it dangerous for the aquatic fauna to survive. The synthetic material also affects the river ecology,” warns Prof Johal.

“In Punjab, the Chhat festival is more responsible for polluting water bodies, especially in industrial towns like Ludhiana, Amritsar and Jalandhar where migrants are settled in a large number,” says Dr Neelima Jerath, Joint Director (Environment), Punjab State Council for Science and Technology, Chandigarh.

“Rivers in Punjab have already been driven to a high degree of pollution due to sewage, factory wastes and other chemicals,” says Dr Jerath.

Citing a report prepared by the council, “A State of Environment — 2005”, she says the Sutlej is the most polluted river of the state. Its toxicity level is high at Nangal, Kiratpur Sahib, Ropar, Ludhiana and Gidderpindi village.

The water quality is generally class “A” with sufficient dissolved oxygen content at Nangal. As the river progresses downstream, the quality deteriorates from class “B” to “E”.

The report also points out that the presence of suspended particulate matter in the air in Patiala, Ludhiana, Jalandhar and Amritsar remains high throughout the year, even in residential areas.

So spare a thought for the environment and spread awareness about the dangers of pollution and buy eco-friendly idols made of papier-mâché.