A day after immersions, Tata Steel Utilities and Infrastructure Services Limited (previously Jusco) started cleaning ghats along the Subernarekha and Kharkain rivers.

The Tata Steel subsidiary, which looks after municipal and allied services in the steel city, deployed a 12-member team of workers to clean the largest Subernarekha ghat in Sakchi, where 80 Durga idols were immersed on Monday.

"The cleaning work has begun with the Subernarekha ghat. We will carry out similar operations at eight other ghats – Sati, Do muhani, Sub Station Ghat (Kadma), Naya Ghat (Near Kanderbera Bridge), Pandey Ghat, Bhuiyandih Ghat, Bailey Bodhanwala Ghat and Dimna lake," said Sukanya Das, spokesperson for the company.

Immersion leftovers at Subernakha Ghat in Sakchi on Tuesday. Bhola Prasad

She also informed that necessary preparations were in place at all these nine ghats for facilitating smooth immersions.

Apart from the Subernarekha ghat, numerous idols were immersed in Pandey Ghat, Naya Ghat, Bhuiyandih Ghat and Do Muhani on Dashami.

In total, over 300 idols were immersed in various river ghats this year.

The cleanliness drive will continue for a few days to make the banks and rivers clean enough before Chhath.

Ram Babu Singh, general secretary of Jamshedpur Durga Puja Kendriya Samiti, the apex body which monitors the festival said, " It won't take much time for cleaning ghats as this year's Puja was a low-key affair with smaller idols."

Immersion leftovers at Domuhani Ghat in Kharkai river at Sonari on Tuesday. Bhola Prasad

The directive to clean up ghats and rivers comes in the wake of guidelines issued by the Jharkhand State Pollution Control Board via its Adityapur regional office, sent to the company from the central board that referred to the 2014 judgment of National Green Tribunal on water pollution due to idol immersion.

Cleanliness is mandatory because Puja paraphernalia gets littered along riverbanks or ends floating on water. Inorganic paints on idols contain toxic chemicals like lead, cadmium, mercury, arsenic and others, which harm and choke aquatic life. Materials used in making idols such as plaster of paris also get deposited as harmful sediments in water.