MUMBAI, Oct. 26 -- Environmentalist Rohit Manohar Joshi has issued a legal notice to the BMC and the Maharashtra Pollution Control Board (MPCB), asking them to prevent any immersions or ritual offerings in natural water bodies during the upcoming Chhath Puja festivities. The notice, issued through advocate Ronita Bhattacharya Bector, seeks enforcement and compliance with the MPCP's August 26 order and the Bombay High Court's September 4 order banning the immersion of idols in natural water bodies, including Banganga Talao. The notice highlights that while the MPCB's directions were issued in August ahead of the Ganapati festival, they "will apply to Chhath Puja festivities (October 25-28) and the immersions to be done during and subsequent to these festivities". Many immersions are likely to happen on the final two days of the festival, October 27 and 28. The MPCB guidelines-issued under the Water (Prevention and Control of Pollution) Act, 1974 and the Environment (Protection) Act, 1986-prohibit immersions in natural water bodies and direct civic authorities to provide artificial tanks for the immersions. Advocate Bhattacharya Bector notes that the same regulatory framework "has been in place since 2021 to prevent contamination of urban water systems" however compliance remains a challenge. The notice stressed that the HC had earlier upheld the legality of the MPCB's August 26 guidelines. In September, the court had dismissed a plea by a Malabar Hill resident who sought permission to immerse an eco-friendly idol of Lord Ganesha at Banganga. The court had ruled that "the right to clean air and clean water has attained the status of a fundamental right of every citizen. The larger public issues and interests of the general public would outweigh the concerns of the individual citizen". The bench had further observed that the pollution control authorities had acted "in the interest of the general public" and made sure the MPCB's guidelines were "undisturbed and in full effect". Relying on the earlier judgements, Joshi's notice says that it is BMC's and the MPCB's duty to "strictly enforce these prohibitions and ensure that no immersions or offerings take place in the Banganga River or the adjoining tank during the forthcoming Chhath Puja celebrations". Joshi urges the civic body to issue public notices, deploy ward-level personnel to monitor the area, and provide "alternate, adequately prepared artificial immersion tanks for devotees". The notice warns, "any failure to act in compliance with the high court's judgement and the MPCB directions will amount to wilful disobedience of court orders." Bector said the notice stems from Joshi's continuing campaign for the ecological preservation of Banganga Talao, a heritage water body....