28-When Faith Meets Chemistry

English
हिंदी (Hindi)

Good morning friends. Today’s story is not comfortable, but it is necessary. It is about something we do with devotion — and what it quietly does to our rivers. Across India, millions of people offer flowers, idols, incense, coconuts, and ashes into rivers every day. During major festivals, the numbers increase dramatically. After Ganesh Chaturthi or Durga Puja, thousands of idols are immersed in a single city within hours. On Chhath, Kumbh, and other river-based rituals, the scale becomes national. Let us begin with organic offerings — flowers, leaves, garlands. When small in quantity, they naturally decompose. But in large volumes, decomposition increases Biological Oxygen Demand (BOD). According to Central Pollution Control Board (CPCB) monitoring, high BOD levels reduce dissolved oxygen in water. When dissolved oxygen falls below 5 mg/L, aquatic life begins to suffer. Fish mortality events have been recorded near major immersion points during peak festival periods. Now consider idols. Traditionally made of clay, many modern idols are produced from Plaster of Paris. Plaster of Paris does not dissolve easily and increases sediment load in rivers. More critically, synthetic paints often contain heavy metals such as lead, chromium, cadmium, and mercury. Studies conducted near immersion sites in multiple Indian cities have shown spikes in heavy metal concentrations after festivals. These metals accumulate in sediments and can enter aquatic food chains. Next is plastic. Offerings today are frequently wrapped in plastic bags, laminated paper, thermocol decorations, and synthetic fabrics. Plastic waste blocks drainage channels, disrupts natural river flow, and breaks down into microplastics. Research globally confirms that microplastics are now found in freshwater organisms and even in human drinking water. There is also the combined impact. In many urban areas, untreated sewage already enters rivers. National assessments have reported high coliform bacteria levels in major river stretches. When ritual waste is added to already stressed systems, the cumulative burden increases rapidly. The river’s natural self-purification capacity — dependent on sunlight, flow speed, and microbial balance — becomes overwhelmed. None of this questions devotion. The intention behind every offering is sacred. But rivers respond not to intention — they respond to material, chemistry, and volume. In earlier centuries, offerings were biodegradable, populations were smaller, and rivers carried far greater dilution capacity. Today, urban density and industrial materials have changed the equation. The river accepts everything we give. But science shows that acceptance has limits. And perhaps that is the quiet reality we must sit with this morning.