After idol immersion, ghats transform into treasure hunt sites
NEW DELHI: After more than four hours in the waist-deep polluted waters of the Yamuna, 16-yearold Suraj Das was still in no mood to call it a day.
Suraj had cycled 10 km to Kudesia Ghat in Kashmere Gate on Monday to hunt for the choicest remains of idols of Goddess Durga that are being immersed in the river since Vijaya Dashami. Covered in heaps of puja material and broken idols, ghats across the city and the Yamuna bear a devastated look.
By noon, Das and his 12-yearold friend Tushar had collected one full sack of “astras”, weapons that are added to the idols.
“These are made out of tin. One katta (sack) of astras will fetch ₹100. My target for today is to collect three bags,” said Das who is enrolled in a government school near his house — a slum cluster in New Seemapuri.
He has been coming to this ghat for nearly a decade now, and his eyes glittered as he recalled his best find so far. “They were two silver coins of Laxmi and Ganesh. I am never going to sell those. I found them two years ago,” Das said.
Meanwhile, Tushar made friends with child scavengers who had organised themselves into groups. One team was looking for coconuts, and another for hair and valuable clothes; but coins and notes were to be kept by whoever finds them.
“We pull out all the debris out of the river and keep it on the bank. It is the MCD’S job to collect and take it away from here. We are working here on a national holiday, but MCD tippers did not come,” said an official of the flood department.
While agencies responsible for cleaning up the mess continued with the blame-game, ragpickers cleaned the river by collecting wood, straw and, of course, money. “Some sell the debris, while others use it to strengthen their huts. Most of the wood is kept for the winters as the rate goes up during that time,” said Allauddin, 58.
At the Kalindi Kunj ghat, Roshan Kumar jumped with joy after he found a silver bracelet which loosely hung from his wrist. “My friend, Rohit had got a gold chain last time. We are even now,” he said.
As another truck of devotees and idols arrived at the ghat, the scavengers positioned themselves in the river yet again and waited for the Gods to come.