Context:

• The Central government has issued a 15-point directive, including cordoning off ghats and imposing a fine of Rs 50,000, to prevent the immersion of idols in the Ganga or its tributaries during festivals, including Dussehra, Diwali, Chhath and Saraswati Puja.

Details of the directive:

• The directive has been issued by the National Mission for Clean Ganga (NMCG) to chief secretaries in 11 Ganga basin states.
• The 11 Ganga basin states include: Uttarakhand, UP, 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, 1986.
• River Bank and Ghats should be Rs 50,000 fine for idol immersion in Ganga, tributaries: Centre to states cordoned off and barricaded to prevent any stray immersion of idols in the river or its banks.
• Adequate arrangements should be made for designated idol-immersion sites within the municipal area or bank of river Ganga and its tributaries by constructing temporary confined ponds with removable synthetic liners at the bottom.

About National Mission for Clean Ganga (NMCG):

• National Mission for Clean Ganga (NMCG) was registered as a society under the Societies Registration Act 1860.
• It acted as implementation arm of National Ganga River Basin Authority (NGRBA) which was constituted under the provisions of the Environment (Protection) Act (EPA),1986.
• NGRBA has since been dissolved with effect, consequent to constitution of National Council for Rejuvenation, Protection and Management of River Ganga (referred as National Ganga Council).
• Now, NMCG acts as the implementation wing of the National Ganga Council.
• It has a two-tier management structure that comprises of Governing Council and Executive Committee.
• Both of them are headed by Director General (DG), NMCG.