JOIN USBan fails to deter devotees from using PoP idols
A little over 2.08 lakh Ganesha idols were immersed by devotees on Friday alone in lakes and mobile tanks, the BBMP has said.
Although the Karnataka State Pollution Control Board (KSPCB) had banned the sale of Plaster of Paris (PoP) Ganeshas last year to prevent the pollution of lakes, this time 12,077 PoP idols have been immersed. The paint used in the PoP idols is toxic and pollutes the water.
“We have banned Plaster of Paris (PoP) idols. We have directed BBMP to see to it that nobody immerses PoP idols in the lakes. These PoP idols do not melt easily and pose a threat to aquatic animals,” said Lakshman, chairman, KSPCB.
Mobile tanks
The KSPCB has arranged for 32 mobile tanks and about 2,200 idols have been immersed in these tanks across the city. “There is a water container and a basket in each of these tanks. People can put the flowers in the basket and the idol can be immersed in the tank,” said Lakshman. The waste collected in the basket will be sent to the BBMP waste segregation unit.
A total of 36 lakes, including Yediyur lake, Sankey tank, and Halasuru lake, were identified by the civic body for citizens to immerse the idols. Apart from that, 223 mobile tanks have been provided by the BBMP.
To avoid any mishaps like last year, this time, the civic body has taken precautionary measures for the idol immersion by deploying professional swimmers. This time, only these swimmers were allowed to immerse the idols in the lakes.
As many as 337 tonnes of additional waste has been generated in the city during the Gowri-Ganesha festival.
“About 4,000 tonnes of waste is generated on a daily basis. Since it is the festival, plantain leaves, wilted flowers, mango leaves, coconut waste, etc, add to the regular waste,” said a BBMP official.
Filled to brim
Since the immersion pond at Yediyur lake has almost been filled with Ganesha idols, BBMP officials have prohibited immersion here on August 28 and September 5, to facilitate the cleaning process.