Delhi PWD Minister Parvesh Sahib Singh Verma on Thursday urged residents not to immerse khetri (Navratri offerings) in the Yamuna River during Navratri. The Minister called on citizens to adopt environmentally responsible practices and use designated processing units instead.
Speaking after offering prayers at Jhandewalan Temple with his family, Singh appealed to people to combine faith with civic responsibility. He emphasised that while khetri, grown during Navratri, symbolises devotion and tradition, its disposal should not harm the environment. “By the grace of Maa, we all grow khetri. It carries our faith, hard work, and emotions. But I would like to make a small request: please do not immerse the khetri in the Yamuna River,” Verma said.
Highlighting the environmental concerns, the minister described the Yamuna as the lifeline of Delhi and stressed that keeping it clean is a shared duty. He encouraged residents to bring their khetri to designated processing units, where it can be converted into compost.
“If you bring your khetri to the processing unit at the nursery in front of the Secretariat, it will be converted into compost and will help make Delhi greener. It may seem like a small step, but its impact will be significant,” he said.
The initiative is part of broader efforts to reduce pollution in the Yamuna, which has long struggled with contamination from waste and religious offerings. Officials believe that redirecting ritual waste to composting facilities can help reduce the ecological burden on the river.
Verma framed the appeal as an opportunity to start a new tradition. “Let us begin a new tradition where faith goes hand in hand with protecting nature. This is true devotion, this is true service,” he added. To facilitate the initiative, authorities have identified multiple locations across Delhi where residents can deposit their khetri. These include ITI Vivek Vihar Green Area, Golden Jubilee Park along the Yamuna Pusta, Sanjay Lake, Smritivan Kondli, Siri Fort Phase-I Green Area, and Vijay Mandal to Begumpur Green Belt.
Other designated sites include Maa Anand Mai Ashram in Harkesh Nagar, Kalkaji Dhobi Ghat Green Area, Aastha Kunj in Kalkaji, Picnic Hut Park in Tughlakabad, and Millennium Park near Sarai Kale Khan.
