PoP idols, firework waste post Chaturthi irk residents of Bicholim and Sanquelim

Bicholim: Residents of Vitthalapur in Sanquelim and surrounding areas have urged the authorities concerned to clean up the banks of the Valvonti river at Vitthalapur following rampant littering, deposits of mud and sand, and remnants of fireworks that were used on a large scale during the immersion ceremony of Ganesh idols during the recently concluded Ganesh Chaturthi festivities there.The banks have traditionally been used as the point to immerse Ganesh idols worshipped by a number of families.Following the immersion ceremony, however, garbage created in the form of firework waste and other disposable items continue to lay scattered on the river’s banks, making it an eyesore.Meanwhile, locals from Bicholim town have also expressed concern over using Ganesh idols made of plaster of paris (PoP) during Ganesh Chaturthi. They said that idols immersed at ‘Devteche Bandar’, near Gothneshwar Devasthan at Bordem, Bicholim, weeks ago have not dissolved despite the passing of a considerable amount of time. “These must be PoP idols as they are yet to completely dissolve,” said Arun Kudalkar, a local.Senior clay artist from Bordem, Ramakant Shetkar, had earlier expressed concerns over the use of PoP idols and had requested govt to initiate legal action against offenders.