With the Nagpur Municipal Corporation (NMC) enforcing a complete ban on the immersion of Ganesh idols in the city’s natural water bodies, citizens are increasingly opting for environmentally responsible alternatives. The NMC has established 447 artificial immersion tanks across Nagpur for smaller idols and has also deployed Visarjan Rath to facilitate immersion at citizens’ doorsteps wherever required.
The initiative is receiving encouraging support from Nagpur residents, with several voluntary organisations joining hands with the civic body. Green Vigil Foundation, which has been associated with the NMC’s eco-friendly Ganesh Visarjan campaign since 2010, is continuing its efforts at the Air Force side of Futala Lake for the 16th consecutive year.
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According to Surbhi Jaiswal, Team Lead, Green Vigil Foundation, the public response has undergone a remarkable transformation over the years. “In the initial years, it was difficult to persuade devotees to avoid immersion in the lake. Even collecting Nirmalya was a challenge, as people were reluctant to hand it over to volunteers. Today, citizens themselves come forward to use the artificial immersion facilities and willingly give us Nirmalya and other puja material,” she said.
However, the continued use of Plaster of Paris (POP) idols remains a concern. Shriya Jogey, a Green Vigil Foundation volunteer stationed at Futala Lake, said that POP idols were still being sold and purchased despite the restrictions. Of the 1,335 idols received at the Futala Lake site during the first six days of immersion, 95 were made of POP.
The campaign is being supported by Green Vigil Foundation members Kaustav Chatterjee, Surbhi Jaiswal, Mehul Kosurkar, Shriya Jogey, Bishnudeo Yadav, Pinaki Banik, Priya Yadav, Tushar Deshmukh and Parth Jumde, along with Hardik Agrawal, Anushka Gurve, Harsh Jora, Amey Shendre, Avanti Joshi and other volunteers from REEF and Shri Ramdeobaba University.
