The fever of festivities gripped the city on Sunday as Ganesh Chaturthi and Onam were celebrated with great fervour. However, the visarjan procession of Lord Ganesha caused great inconvenience to commuters near Sutlej toll plaza and even the river was highly polluted after people immersed idols in it. The toll plaza barrier near Sutlej river on way to Jalandhar was the hot spot for immersing idols. Environmentalists criticised the way toxic paints, stones, enamel colours, glass, POP and other toxic materials used in idols polluted the river. Talking to Newsline, Dr Sandeep Jain, member of Animal Welfare Board of India, said, “The immersion of idols should be eco-friendly. The idols should be made with eco-friendly material as this process greatly harms the fish and other aquatic life in rivers. Not only aquatic life, the same water goes in human food chain and affects health.” To avoid paying at toll barrier, many people were seen passing through the other routes made illegally beside Sutlej. “This way is commonly used for transporting sand by illegal sand miners. To avoid paying at the toll barrier, now people also use it when they want to reach Sutlej banks for religious processions like Chatt Pooja by migrants and now Ganesh Visarjan,” said a resident. Hapreet Soin, a city resident and a social worker from Assocham Ladies League, said, “We can make small idols of Ganesha with eco-friendly materials and immerse them in a bucket of water which can be used for plants later. It is just the way of celebrations that needs to change to protect water bodies. The devotion and religious values remain the same. We all have seen how idols immersed in sea waters of Mumbai only pollute seashores and also disrespect the festivities when idols lie in the feet of people.” Meanwhile, along with Ganesh Chaturthi, it was the flavour of Onam that gripped the city. Kerala Kalavedi (Kerala community in Ludhiana) celebrated Onam on Sunday. They celebrated festival at MBD Neopolis in a traditional manner. Flowers of different hues were used for making floral atthapookalam (rangoli with flowers). Pookalam, the floral carpet, known as ‘Onapookkalam’ with varieties of fresh flowers put together, was also made. When completed, a miniature pandal, hung with little festoons was erected over it. “In the recent years, the floral designs have evolved from the traditional circular shape to unique designs depicting different cultural and social aspects of Kerala. All over Kerala, Pookalam competitions are a common sight on Onam,” said Sindhu Prasanam, a native of Kerala now settled in Ludhiana.
