Nagpur: To avoid pollution in water bodies, the Nagpur Municipal Corporation (NMC), this year also has imposed complete restriction on idol immersion in Nagpur lakes. Normally, the idol immersion takes place in Futala, Gandhi Sagar, Sakkardara and Sonegaon lakes of the city.
But, Sonegaon, Sakkardara and Gandhi Sagar lakes are under process of renovation and maintenance. Therefore, the water level in these three lakes is almost zero whereas the civic body stopped allowing immersion of idols in Futala Lake due to the musical fountain.
The NMC has planned to install 413 artificial immersion tanks for Ganeshotsav. Idols more than four feet tall will be immersed at tanks constructed near Koradi temple as the civic body failed to develop proposed big sized immersion tanks within the city limits.
To avoid idol immersion in lakes in the city, NMC would cover the banks of these lakes with tin sheds every year before the Ganesh festival. However, this year, the barricading is yet to start at Futala Lake, which is a major concern for NGOs and environment activists. Normally, the civic body covers every corner of Futala Lake with tin sheds, but it is yet to start and the Visarjan will start from Tuesday onwards.
To smoothly conduct the process of immersion at Futala Lake, the civic body is installing a total of 12 artificial tanks on both sides of the lake. Citizens can immerse 4 feet tall Ganesh idols in these lakes and big idols will not be allowed in these artificial tanks. For big idols, citizens will have to go outside the city, in Koradi for the immersion of the big idols.
To avoid idol immersion inside the city water bodies, the civic body is going to install 413 artificial tanks in all zones and also put hundreds of Nirmalya Kalash in all zones to celebrate eco-friendly and clean Ganesh festival. Along with this, the civic body will run mobile immersion tanks throughout the city this year in which citizens can perform the immersion in case they are unable to rich the artificial tanks.
The civic body will be taking the help of NGOs of the city including Green Vigil Foundation, Tejaswini Mahila Manch, Rotary Clubs of Nagpur, Lions Club of Nagpur, Swachh Nagpur etc to volunteer the immersion sites in all four lake premises of the city. Also, NCC and NSS cadets will extend their helping hands to the civic body for the collection of Nirmalya at the immersion sites and will try to sensitise the people to celebrate clean, eco-friendly Ganesh festival.
The Police Department, Fire and Emergency Department, Nuisance Detection Squad and other departments of the civic administration are working hard for the smooth conduct of the ‘Ganesh Visarjan’ throughout the city and aim to minimise pollution due to it.
