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Journalism of Courage
After the Bombay High Court directed mandatory immersion of Ganesh idols up to six feet in artificial ponds to check pollution of natural water bodies, the Pune Municipal Corporation said Tuesday it will encourage citizens to donate their Ganesh idols at its 241 collection centres across the city.
“The Pune Municipal Corporation (PMC) has been getting a good response to its environment-friendly Ganesh festival initiative for the last few years. Its initiative to encourage citizens to donate Ganesh idols to civic bodies instead of immersing them in natural water bodies received a good response last year, as a total of 1,76,067 idols were donated by citizens at the 239 centres set up across the city,” said Sandip Kadam, in charge of the civic solid waste management department.
Kadam said PMC is expecting an increase in donations of Ganesh idols this year as the court has made it mandatory for idols less than six feet in height not to be immersed in natural water bodies.
“PMC is also increasing the number of installations of artificial tanks, mainly steel tanks, across the city. There will be 648 steel tanks at 281 locations this year, as against 516 steel tanks at 255 locations last year, and concrete tanks at 38 locations in the city for citizens to immerse Ganesh idols,” he added.
Last year, more than five lakh Ganesh idols immersed in artificial tanks were re-immersed in a quarry in Wagholi.
PMC will also install waste collection containers at 328 locations in the city for citizens to deposit floral and other waste during the Ganesh festival, up from 298 locations last year. Around 706 tonnes of floral and biodegradable waste were collected during the Ganesh festival and were recycled.
Meanwhile, the civic body would continue its decision not to distribute Ammonium bicarbonate powder to citizens for immersion of Ganesh idols made of Plaster of Paris. The civic body used to distribute the powder free of cost as the National Chemical Laboratory had come up with the solution to tackle the water pollution due to Plaster of Paris.
“It has been two years since we have stopped distribution of Ammonium biarbonate to citizens during the Ganesh festival which dissolves the Plaster of Paris idols. However, it indirectly promotes citizens to purchase such idols, so we have stopped it now,” said Kadam.
PMC’s solid waste management department will also appoint its staff round the clock to clean the city during the festival, and undertake a special drive of cleaning the procession routes during the Ganesh festival this year, too.
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