Umsning, October 21: Leaders and members of the Khasi Students’ Union (KSU), Umsning Circle, kept vigil near Nongmahir Lake following the organisation’s opposition to a proposed immersion of Puja idols by the Zero Point area Puja Committee.

The vigil was led by KSU Umsning Circle president Lester Nongbet and general secretary Laraplang Nongbri, accompanied by Nongmahir Rangbah Shnong Elbin Ripnar.

According to the organisation, its members remained near the lake for some time, but the Puja Committee did not arrive to carry out the idol immersion.

The KSU recalled that in 2023, it had opposed the immersion of Puja idols by the Umsning Puja Committee in the Umran Dairy river and issued a warning against the practice. It said its latest intervention at Nongmahir Lake was driven by similar concerns over protecting natural water bodies from pollution.

The organisation cited the Water (Prevention and Control of Pollution) Act, 1974, and the Central Pollution Control Board’s guidelines issued in 2010, maintaining that idol immersion in natural water bodies could cause pollution. It called for the use of artificial ponds or temporary immersion pits as alternatives.

Alongside the vigil, KSU Umsning Circle leaders and members also conducted a tree plantation drive along the banks of Nongmahir Lake, highlighting their efforts to protect the local environment.