18 September,2025 06:35 PM IST | Mumbai | Ranjeet Jadhav
The failure to control pollution is destroying aquatic life, said an activist. Pic/Special Arrangement by Ranjeet Jadhav
Yeoor Environmental Society (YES) has registered a strong complaint to the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC), Maharashtra Pollution Control Board (MPCB), and the District Administration, warning of contempt of court proceedings if authorities fail to prevent pollution of Banganga Lake and other natural water bodies during Pitrupaksha/Sarvapitri Amavasya rituals.
Despite repeated incidents of mass fish deaths at Banganga Lake for several consecutive years following ritual waste immersion, authorities have not enforced a clear ban, even though multiple court orders, including the Supreme Court's Ganga pollution case (M.C. Mehta) and Bombay High Court's Ganesh Idol Immersion orders (2018), explicitly prohibit dumping of ritual waste into natural lakes, creeks, and rivers.
Even the Banganga Temple Trust has now engaged bouncers to stop devotees from immersing ritual waste, but shockingly, the civic and pollution control authorities remain inactive. This failure is destroying aquatic life and desecrating our heritage lakes.
The complaint demands the following-
- An immediate written ban on ritual waste immersion in Banganga Lake and all other natural water bodies across Mumbai.
- Deployment of civic and police staff during Sarvapitri Amavasya to prevent pollution.
- Alternative artificial ponds for rituals.
- A public awareness campaign to guide devotees towards eco-friendly practices.
YES has also attached photographs and news reports of fish mortality as evidence and warned that failure to act will invite contempt proceedings before the Bombay High Court and the National Green Tribunal (NGT).
"The pattern of neglect year after year cannot continue. Protecting our lakes is not only an ecological duty but also a constitutional mandate under Article 21 - the Right to a Clean Environment," said activist Rohit Joshi.
