TNN Oct 10, 2011, 05.54AM IST
Tags: i) power generation at BTPS ii) power cuts in delhi
NEW DELHI: City may have to reel under power cuts on Monday if coal shortage continues to hit power plants. Delhi received up to 1,000 MW less power on Sunday leading to load shedding in many areas; but no crisis situation arose due to less demand as it was a holiday.
While the units at NTPC's plants at Dadri in Uttar Pradesh, Singrauli in Madhya Pradesh, Farakka in West Bengal and Kahalgaon in Bihar were already producing less power due to shortage of coal and wet coal, fewer water supply from the Agra Canal led to a shortfall in supply from the Badarpur plant on Sunday. Discoms have warned that load shedding may have to be intensified on Monday when demand rises.
"Due to further reduction in power generation at BTPS, supply to Delhi fell short by as much as 1,000 MW for certain periods on Sunday. The impact wasn't pronounced it being a Sunday, but we may have to resort to load shedding on a rotational basis on Monday if the problem is not sorted out. There will be an obvious increase in power demand on a working day," said a discom official. The peak load on Sunday was 3,526 MW which was about 200 MW less than what it was on Saturday. According to Transco, the load shedding was to the tune of 270 MW on Sunday.
"Due to shortage of water used for cooling and also technical snags, generating stations in the city, including BTPS and Rajghat, were cumulatively producing around 410 MW less power. They normally supply around 1,100 MW to Delhi," a discom official said. Sources said the city received only 800 MW power from the Dadri plant even though its quota is 1,400 MW. The power plants have been cutting down on their generation for nearly a week due to inadequate supply of coal.
Incessant rain in the east has severely hit mining and loading of coal due to which discoms have been overdrawing from the Northern Grid. Last week, load shedding in the city had to be increased to maintain grid frequency. As per Delhi government sources, neighbouring states were heavily overdrawing from the Grid. According to discoms, they cannot arrange to buy power from other sources for the time being as power supply has been hit in other parts of the country, too.
"This problem is beyond our control. All states are overdrawing due to coal shortage. Where is the power to buy?" an official said. Delhi government has also written to NTPC, requesting restoration of full supply to the city.
Monday, October 10, 2011
Puja flowers to give Holi colour (Time of India 09 October 2011)
Ambika Pandit, TNN Oct 9, 2011, 04.33AM IST
Tags: i) floral tributes ii) Durga puja
NEW DELHI: Floral tributes paid to goddess Durga on Vijaya Dashami are benefitting the under-privileged in the city. Volunteers of different NGOs have salvaged nearly six tonnes of flowers from the banks of the Yamuna after the visarjan (idol immersion) held on Thursday to mark the end of Durga Puja.
Eco-friendly colours will be made from these flowers and sold during Holi, thereby serving as a means of livelihood for hundreds of differently-abled people.
Dr Madhumita Puri, who leads a project called 'From Trash to Cash' and coordinated the flower collection exercise at the enclosures set up along the river banks, said: "The flowers have been collected under the banner of 'Avacayam', a project by virtue of which volunteers collect waste flowers. About six tonnes flowers were collected from Kalindi Kunj, Qudsia Ghat, Geeta Ghat and Jagatpur."
She added: "The response was better than last year when we managed to collect flowers from only one ghat. But this is smaller than what I was hoping to collect: about 12 tonnes. To build awareness among people a wider and more focused campaign is required.
"People need to be informed and requested to put aside puja offerings like flowers before the immersion of the idol so that they can be recycled for a cause.
"From next time, the campaign for an eco-friendly visarjan must be organized much before the puja celebrations begin. Building awareness during the festivities when everyone is too busy with the celebrations does not have that big an impact," she said.
The state environment department has proposed to issue an advisory to all puja organizers next year.
This, they hope, will generate awareness among puja organizers to make idol immersion more eco-friendly. The advisory will talk about prevention of river pollution and how puja offerings like flowers can be recycled and put to better use.
"Our volunteers collect nearly 500 kg of flowers every day from temples. In this, they are aided by 20 other NGOs, who collect at least 100 kg of flowers every day. The flowers are then cleaned, cut, dried and converted into natural colours by differently-abled people," said Puri, who coordinates the Avacayam project round the year.
Tags: i) floral tributes ii) Durga puja
NEW DELHI: Floral tributes paid to goddess Durga on Vijaya Dashami are benefitting the under-privileged in the city. Volunteers of different NGOs have salvaged nearly six tonnes of flowers from the banks of the Yamuna after the visarjan (idol immersion) held on Thursday to mark the end of Durga Puja.
Eco-friendly colours will be made from these flowers and sold during Holi, thereby serving as a means of livelihood for hundreds of differently-abled people.
Dr Madhumita Puri, who leads a project called 'From Trash to Cash' and coordinated the flower collection exercise at the enclosures set up along the river banks, said: "The flowers have been collected under the banner of 'Avacayam', a project by virtue of which volunteers collect waste flowers. About six tonnes flowers were collected from Kalindi Kunj, Qudsia Ghat, Geeta Ghat and Jagatpur."
She added: "The response was better than last year when we managed to collect flowers from only one ghat. But this is smaller than what I was hoping to collect: about 12 tonnes. To build awareness among people a wider and more focused campaign is required.
"People need to be informed and requested to put aside puja offerings like flowers before the immersion of the idol so that they can be recycled for a cause.
"From next time, the campaign for an eco-friendly visarjan must be organized much before the puja celebrations begin. Building awareness during the festivities when everyone is too busy with the celebrations does not have that big an impact," she said.
The state environment department has proposed to issue an advisory to all puja organizers next year.
This, they hope, will generate awareness among puja organizers to make idol immersion more eco-friendly. The advisory will talk about prevention of river pollution and how puja offerings like flowers can be recycled and put to better use.
"Our volunteers collect nearly 500 kg of flowers every day from temples. In this, they are aided by 20 other NGOs, who collect at least 100 kg of flowers every day. The flowers are then cleaned, cut, dried and converted into natural colours by differently-abled people," said Puri, who coordinates the Avacayam project round the year.
Water resources minister seeks law akin to RTI (Time of India 09 October 2011)
Abantika Ghosh, TNN Oct 9, 2011, 01.21AM IST
Tags: i) RTI Act ii) ministry of water resources
NEW DELHI: Buoyed by the recent standing committee recommendations about putting water on the Concurrent List if not the Union List, the ministry of water resources is looking at a national framework law on the lines of the RTI Act to ensure state compliance on water conservation and pricing.
"The matter (of putting water on the Concurrent List or the Union List) will be taken up by the group of ministers soon. Our stand is clear. We need some say in the matter as leaving it to states is serving nobody's purpose. It's a politically sensitive issue and electoral concerns mean that tough measures like pricing are seldom implemented. But evolving a political consensus might be equally difficult. That's why we are looking at a national framework law. Once we get it passed with support from two or more states, other states will have to adopt it," said a senior official in the ministry of water resources.
The standing committee in its report on the augmentation of ground water had recommended: "Taking note of the recurrent disputes between certain states and regions over water sharing, the Committee hardly need to underline the need for evolving national planning development, conservation, exploitation and distribution of water in an equitable and sustainable manner...The Committee would urge the government to initiate steps in right earnest to strive to build national consensus to bring water either in the Union list of the concurrent list after due consultation with state governments."
The panel has asked the ministry to initiate a draft proposal on this at the earliest.
Senior ministry officials say that efforts are on to have a law in place by the start of the 12th Five Year plan. The law would have provisions for setting up of a water authority in each state - much like the State Information Commission under the RTI Act - and tackle issues like water pricing, where each state now has adopted a separate regime.
Lack of Central powers in the matter has led the ambitious river linking project hanging fire for many years. The first project, Ken-Betwa, is stuck over the inundation threat to the Panna Tiger Reserve. While Madhya Pradesh has withdrawn consent to the Parbati-Kalisindh-Chambal linking project, maintaining that it doesn't stand to benefit from it. "These are some of the things that would ease once there are more powers on water issues," said an official.
Tags: i) RTI Act ii) ministry of water resources
NEW DELHI: Buoyed by the recent standing committee recommendations about putting water on the Concurrent List if not the Union List, the ministry of water resources is looking at a national framework law on the lines of the RTI Act to ensure state compliance on water conservation and pricing.
"The matter (of putting water on the Concurrent List or the Union List) will be taken up by the group of ministers soon. Our stand is clear. We need some say in the matter as leaving it to states is serving nobody's purpose. It's a politically sensitive issue and electoral concerns mean that tough measures like pricing are seldom implemented. But evolving a political consensus might be equally difficult. That's why we are looking at a national framework law. Once we get it passed with support from two or more states, other states will have to adopt it," said a senior official in the ministry of water resources.
The standing committee in its report on the augmentation of ground water had recommended: "Taking note of the recurrent disputes between certain states and regions over water sharing, the Committee hardly need to underline the need for evolving national planning development, conservation, exploitation and distribution of water in an equitable and sustainable manner...The Committee would urge the government to initiate steps in right earnest to strive to build national consensus to bring water either in the Union list of the concurrent list after due consultation with state governments."
The panel has asked the ministry to initiate a draft proposal on this at the earliest.
Senior ministry officials say that efforts are on to have a law in place by the start of the 12th Five Year plan. The law would have provisions for setting up of a water authority in each state - much like the State Information Commission under the RTI Act - and tackle issues like water pricing, where each state now has adopted a separate regime.
Lack of Central powers in the matter has led the ambitious river linking project hanging fire for many years. The first project, Ken-Betwa, is stuck over the inundation threat to the Panna Tiger Reserve. While Madhya Pradesh has withdrawn consent to the Parbati-Kalisindh-Chambal linking project, maintaining that it doesn't stand to benefit from it. "These are some of the things that would ease once there are more powers on water issues," said an official.
Croat captures colour and emotion on banks (Time of India 07 October 2011)
Indrani Basu, TNN Oct 7, 2011, 05.22AM IST
New Delhi: As hundreds of devotees sang songs in praise of the Goddess Durga on Vijayadashami, Croatian documentary filmmaker Ljubica Jankovic Lazaric was busy capturing emotions on the Kalindi Kunj ghat. The well-known filmmaker has been busy recording the festival for the past four days in Delhi with her Lucknow-based camera person Ali and her friend Kartik, a Delhi-based interior and graphic designer who has been helping her communicate with locals.
"I am shooting a documentary on Delhi as seen through the four seasons and trying to capture those things in this city that change and that which remains constant. The personality of the city of Delhi is dynamic, with lots of things changing every day as it rushes to become a world-class city. Some of the changes will cause it to lose its uniqueness but things like Durga Puja and the festivities that surround it will remain a constant. Each year, the ghats are crowded with devotees and I am here to capture this excitement and activity," explained Lazaric to TOI.
Lazaric has been visiting different puja pandals in the city to catch the festive flavour. "The celebration of this festival marks the start of autumn in Delhi. I have been to the CR Park Mela Grounds where we captured the beautiful idol and the hundreds of people who visited the pandal. The entire immersion process has been equally beautiful. After this, I am also planning to shoot the Ramlila. The variety and vibrant environment of Delhi is infectious. Earlier, when I shot ten stories of India in Chennai, Rishikesh, Udaipur, Jodhpur, Pushkar, Ajmer and Varanasi among others and it was aired in Croatia, it became very popular. Now I want to focus on Delhi and its many moods through the year," said Lazaric.
The filmmaker first came to India six years ago when she shot brief episodes on Indian culture for Croatian television. Four years ago, she visited India again. This time, with a mission to capture multifaceted Delhi, Lazaric is shooting two documentaries on Delhi, one of them being Delhi through the seasons.
"Delhi has become a home to me and this film is a tribute to the city. When I leave, this will be my present," said the filmmaker, who is currently living in Noida. Lazaric, who studied at the University of Zagreb and is a member of Croatian Film Director's Guild, has directed more than 250 documentary films in countries such as Germany, Australia, USA, Italy, Albania, Iran, and India.
New Delhi: As hundreds of devotees sang songs in praise of the Goddess Durga on Vijayadashami, Croatian documentary filmmaker Ljubica Jankovic Lazaric was busy capturing emotions on the Kalindi Kunj ghat. The well-known filmmaker has been busy recording the festival for the past four days in Delhi with her Lucknow-based camera person Ali and her friend Kartik, a Delhi-based interior and graphic designer who has been helping her communicate with locals.
"I am shooting a documentary on Delhi as seen through the four seasons and trying to capture those things in this city that change and that which remains constant. The personality of the city of Delhi is dynamic, with lots of things changing every day as it rushes to become a world-class city. Some of the changes will cause it to lose its uniqueness but things like Durga Puja and the festivities that surround it will remain a constant. Each year, the ghats are crowded with devotees and I am here to capture this excitement and activity," explained Lazaric to TOI.
Lazaric has been visiting different puja pandals in the city to catch the festive flavour. "The celebration of this festival marks the start of autumn in Delhi. I have been to the CR Park Mela Grounds where we captured the beautiful idol and the hundreds of people who visited the pandal. The entire immersion process has been equally beautiful. After this, I am also planning to shoot the Ramlila. The variety and vibrant environment of Delhi is infectious. Earlier, when I shot ten stories of India in Chennai, Rishikesh, Udaipur, Jodhpur, Pushkar, Ajmer and Varanasi among others and it was aired in Croatia, it became very popular. Now I want to focus on Delhi and its many moods through the year," said Lazaric.
The filmmaker first came to India six years ago when she shot brief episodes on Indian culture for Croatian television. Four years ago, she visited India again. This time, with a mission to capture multifaceted Delhi, Lazaric is shooting two documentaries on Delhi, one of them being Delhi through the seasons.
"Delhi has become a home to me and this film is a tribute to the city. When I leave, this will be my present," said the filmmaker, who is currently living in Noida. Lazaric, who studied at the University of Zagreb and is a member of Croatian Film Director's Guild, has directed more than 250 documentary films in countries such as Germany, Australia, USA, Italy, Albania, Iran, and India.
Ghats packed with devotees as festival culminates with immersion of the deity (Time of India 07 October 2011)
Indrani Basu, TNN Oct 7, 2011, 05.26AM IST indrani.basu@timesgroup.com
Tags: South Delhi Joint Procession Committee
New Delhi: With unbridled enthusiasm, they danced to the fervent beat of drums and chanted Durga's name, before bidding adieu to their beloved goddess.
Four days of festivities culminated in Vijaya Dashami on Thursday as hundreds of devotees thronged the Yamuna ghats to immerse the idols.
The send-off was an elaborate affair, with men, women and children holding pots containing burning coconut husk and dancing in front of Durga's idols, in reverence to the goddess.
The immersion took place at four main ghats in the capital - Kalindi Kunj, Geeta Ghat, Kudsiya Ghat and Ramghat. The Kalindi Kunj ghat alone witnessed over 250 visarjans by various puja samitis from south Delhi, Dwarka, Mayur Vihar, Faridabad, Gurgaon, Noida among others. "We have 135 puja samitis who have registered for visarjan at Kalindi Kunj Ghat this year. There are over 150 unregistered puja samitis who also brought their idols for immersion here," said Anjan Mukherjee, member of South Delhi Joint Procession Committee.
"Friday onwards, we will go back to our normal routine. Until then we are pulling out all stops and singing and dancing to our heart's content. At least 50 to 60 people from our puja pandal have come to the Kalindi Kunj ghat," said Shubha Goswami of Sarita Vihar puja pandal.
Each puja committee brought their teams comprising of young and the elderly to carry the idols to the river for immersion. Spinning the idol thrice for good fortune, devotees waded into the river and bid the goddess farewell with a heavy heart, their eyes moist with tears as the idol drifted away. "Vijayadashami is a bittersweet day for us. We are sad to see Ma Durga drift away after four days of non-stop celebrations and excitement. Her immersion has left a void in the heart of the devotees. The only consolation is that everyone is aware of the fact that the goddess will return next year, to fill us with joy and colour," said Niharika Roy.
Members of many puja committees were seen sporting T-shirts specially printed for their respective puja samitis.
Ashoka Enclave Sarbojanin Durga Puja Committee of Faridabad had a team of 70 people from various walks of life coming to the ghat for the visarjan. "The committee boasts of engineers, chartered accountants, IT professionals, advertising professionals and school teachers. We are 85 families who love to organize Durga Puja and celebrate together. We are a very close-knit community, and this is why everyone wants to come to the ghat," said puja samiti cultural secretary Arjun Sengupta.
Tags: South Delhi Joint Procession Committee
New Delhi: With unbridled enthusiasm, they danced to the fervent beat of drums and chanted Durga's name, before bidding adieu to their beloved goddess.
Four days of festivities culminated in Vijaya Dashami on Thursday as hundreds of devotees thronged the Yamuna ghats to immerse the idols.
The send-off was an elaborate affair, with men, women and children holding pots containing burning coconut husk and dancing in front of Durga's idols, in reverence to the goddess.
The immersion took place at four main ghats in the capital - Kalindi Kunj, Geeta Ghat, Kudsiya Ghat and Ramghat. The Kalindi Kunj ghat alone witnessed over 250 visarjans by various puja samitis from south Delhi, Dwarka, Mayur Vihar, Faridabad, Gurgaon, Noida among others. "We have 135 puja samitis who have registered for visarjan at Kalindi Kunj Ghat this year. There are over 150 unregistered puja samitis who also brought their idols for immersion here," said Anjan Mukherjee, member of South Delhi Joint Procession Committee.
"Friday onwards, we will go back to our normal routine. Until then we are pulling out all stops and singing and dancing to our heart's content. At least 50 to 60 people from our puja pandal have come to the Kalindi Kunj ghat," said Shubha Goswami of Sarita Vihar puja pandal.
Each puja committee brought their teams comprising of young and the elderly to carry the idols to the river for immersion. Spinning the idol thrice for good fortune, devotees waded into the river and bid the goddess farewell with a heavy heart, their eyes moist with tears as the idol drifted away. "Vijayadashami is a bittersweet day for us. We are sad to see Ma Durga drift away after four days of non-stop celebrations and excitement. Her immersion has left a void in the heart of the devotees. The only consolation is that everyone is aware of the fact that the goddess will return next year, to fill us with joy and colour," said Niharika Roy.
Members of many puja committees were seen sporting T-shirts specially printed for their respective puja samitis.
Ashoka Enclave Sarbojanin Durga Puja Committee of Faridabad had a team of 70 people from various walks of life coming to the ghat for the visarjan. "The committee boasts of engineers, chartered accountants, IT professionals, advertising professionals and school teachers. We are 85 families who love to organize Durga Puja and celebrate together. We are a very close-knit community, and this is why everyone wants to come to the ghat," said puja samiti cultural secretary Arjun Sengupta.
Just wading into river, little water (Time of India 07 October 2011)
Jayashree Nandi & Indrani Basu, TNN Oct 7, 2011, 05.25AM IST toireporter@timesgroup.com
New Delhi: After Durga was immersed with festive fervour, devotees bent their heads reverentially for the sprinkling of 'holy water'. But they were in fact breathing stench and getting sprayed with drain water. The Yamuna seemed like a dirty nullah choked and frothing with filth and scum.
And what's shocking, the water level has receded to such low levels that devotees were seen wading in the middle of the river, the water barely touching their knees.
"There will probably be a time when we won't need boats. And it's just not about the water level, the stench here is unbearable. We spend our days here and pollution is killing the river," said Vikas Paswan, a boatman at Kalindi Kunj ghat.
The ambitious New Ganga and Yamuna Action Plans have still not been able to bring the river back from the brink. And activists say speedy implementation of the plan can still save the Yamuna.
"There are several reasons for the receding water levels. Water is diverted into Yamuna's tributaries like Renuka, which is also dying due to lack of natural water source. Rising population and depleting agricultural land are also exerting pressure on the river," said Puran Chand, an activist of the Renuka Bandh Sangharsh Samiti.
Experts say the city is hardly equipped to treat waste water. "Under the Water Pollution Act, 1974, it is illegal to dump untreated water. The national capital is setting the worst example by not treating waste water. Even the small amount that is treated is released into the untreated waste water that defeats the entire purpose. The river does not belong to the Delhi alone. There are a lot of excuses offered by authorities, including migration and overpopulation for not treating water, but it has been many years and the situation is just getting worse," said Himanshu Thakkar, coordinator for South Asia Network on Dams, Rivers and People.
Environmentalists say there is almost no fresh water in the Yamuna today. With fresh water diverted from Wazirabad for urban use, the water flowing downstream carries untreated pollutants from Delhi. The urban and industrial waste and drain water from Najafgarh pass through Kalindi Kunj ghat.
New Delhi: After Durga was immersed with festive fervour, devotees bent their heads reverentially for the sprinkling of 'holy water'. But they were in fact breathing stench and getting sprayed with drain water. The Yamuna seemed like a dirty nullah choked and frothing with filth and scum.
And what's shocking, the water level has receded to such low levels that devotees were seen wading in the middle of the river, the water barely touching their knees.
"There will probably be a time when we won't need boats. And it's just not about the water level, the stench here is unbearable. We spend our days here and pollution is killing the river," said Vikas Paswan, a boatman at Kalindi Kunj ghat.
The ambitious New Ganga and Yamuna Action Plans have still not been able to bring the river back from the brink. And activists say speedy implementation of the plan can still save the Yamuna.
"There are several reasons for the receding water levels. Water is diverted into Yamuna's tributaries like Renuka, which is also dying due to lack of natural water source. Rising population and depleting agricultural land are also exerting pressure on the river," said Puran Chand, an activist of the Renuka Bandh Sangharsh Samiti.
Experts say the city is hardly equipped to treat waste water. "Under the Water Pollution Act, 1974, it is illegal to dump untreated water. The national capital is setting the worst example by not treating waste water. Even the small amount that is treated is released into the untreated waste water that defeats the entire purpose. The river does not belong to the Delhi alone. There are a lot of excuses offered by authorities, including migration and overpopulation for not treating water, but it has been many years and the situation is just getting worse," said Himanshu Thakkar, coordinator for South Asia Network on Dams, Rivers and People.
Environmentalists say there is almost no fresh water in the Yamuna today. With fresh water diverted from Wazirabad for urban use, the water flowing downstream carries untreated pollutants from Delhi. The urban and industrial waste and drain water from Najafgarh pass through Kalindi Kunj ghat.
Scavengers strike gold in trash heap (Time of India 07 October 2011)
Indrani Basu, TNN Oct 7, 2011, 05.23AM IST indrani.basu@timesgroup.com
New Delhi: With the immersion of the idols on Vijaya Dashami, it is curtains to Durga Puja, but for these ragpickers, the festival has just begun. These band of boys from the nearby jhuggi clusters around the Yamuna ghats look forward to this day each year when hundreds of puja devotees come for the immersion and leave behind offerings. What is waste for others is big money for them.
Proudly clutching his "booty" in a dirty, white plastic sack, seven-year-old Suhaib says he collected enough utensils to last a year for his family in about 50 minutes. There are many others who like Suhaib are busy sifting through piles of incense sticks, puja samagri and packets of flowers to retrieve what they consider "useful" waste.
"I collect gatta (cardboard) and plastic. Gatta sells for Rs 5 a kilo and plastic for Rs 13 a kilo. Today, I have already made two trips to my house to empty my bag. I will collect enough to sell for at least Rs 50. All my siblings are also here. We will have a feast tonight," said a jubilant nine-year-old Bhuwan. He stays in a rundown hut near the Shamshan Ghat with his paralytic mother and three siblings.
For most of these children, the festivities begin only when the puja ends for the devotees. Each year, these children watch from the banks of the Yamuna as the puja committees come the ghats with their idols. As the devotees dance and pray in front of the idols before the visarjan, the scavengers too join in, in anticipation of the treasures that they would soon find in the devotees' waste. Most people coming for the visarjan carry water bottles and plastic packets that they carelessly throw away before leaving the ghat, and these children are only too happy to pick them up and stow them away in the bags they bring with them.
"Sometimes, we have demarcated areas where each scavenger can forage. We cover the whole ghat and some of the more experienced swimmers dive into the water to salvage packets of utensils which the devotees throw into the river. Our operation continues till late into the evening. For us, it's a hard day's work, but it is also our one of the happier days. Vijaya Dashami is the day when we are assured of a full meal at night. Many of the things we manage to salvage keep us going for the rest of the year," said 12-year-old Vijay, who has been visiting the ghat on Vijaya Dashami since he was eight years old.
As devotees pull out of the ghats chanting "Ma Durga would be back again next year", these young scavengers join in to echo their prayer.
New Delhi: With the immersion of the idols on Vijaya Dashami, it is curtains to Durga Puja, but for these ragpickers, the festival has just begun. These band of boys from the nearby jhuggi clusters around the Yamuna ghats look forward to this day each year when hundreds of puja devotees come for the immersion and leave behind offerings. What is waste for others is big money for them.
Proudly clutching his "booty" in a dirty, white plastic sack, seven-year-old Suhaib says he collected enough utensils to last a year for his family in about 50 minutes. There are many others who like Suhaib are busy sifting through piles of incense sticks, puja samagri and packets of flowers to retrieve what they consider "useful" waste.
"I collect gatta (cardboard) and plastic. Gatta sells for Rs 5 a kilo and plastic for Rs 13 a kilo. Today, I have already made two trips to my house to empty my bag. I will collect enough to sell for at least Rs 50. All my siblings are also here. We will have a feast tonight," said a jubilant nine-year-old Bhuwan. He stays in a rundown hut near the Shamshan Ghat with his paralytic mother and three siblings.
For most of these children, the festivities begin only when the puja ends for the devotees. Each year, these children watch from the banks of the Yamuna as the puja committees come the ghats with their idols. As the devotees dance and pray in front of the idols before the visarjan, the scavengers too join in, in anticipation of the treasures that they would soon find in the devotees' waste. Most people coming for the visarjan carry water bottles and plastic packets that they carelessly throw away before leaving the ghat, and these children are only too happy to pick them up and stow them away in the bags they bring with them.
"Sometimes, we have demarcated areas where each scavenger can forage. We cover the whole ghat and some of the more experienced swimmers dive into the water to salvage packets of utensils which the devotees throw into the river. Our operation continues till late into the evening. For us, it's a hard day's work, but it is also our one of the happier days. Vijaya Dashami is the day when we are assured of a full meal at night. Many of the things we manage to salvage keep us going for the rest of the year," said 12-year-old Vijay, who has been visiting the ghat on Vijaya Dashami since he was eight years old.
As devotees pull out of the ghats chanting "Ma Durga would be back again next year", these young scavengers join in to echo their prayer.
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