NMC apathy may sink hopes of eco-friendly immersion

NAGPUR: With just a week left for the 10-day-long Ganeshotsav, NMC hasn’t yet taken any decision on banning immersion of big idols in city’s water bodies and shift it to two abandoned quarries outside city limits.
NMC’s deputy director (health) Dr Milind Ganvir told TOI as civic chief Shravan Hardikar was out of station, no decision had been taken.Though mayor Pravin Datke convened a review meeting on NMC’s preparedness for the festival, this topic never came up for discussion.
Dr Ganvir clarified that apart from its plan to dig up tanks in every prabhag, the civic body would place at least 90 artificial tanks at different locations.
Recently, TOI had reported that following municipal commissioner and MPCB officials’ directives, Dr Ganvir had carried out a survey and identified two abandoned quarries (on Amravati Road and Pitesur near Godhani) outside city limits. As per the plan, the civic body had decided to shift immersion of big idols to these places.
Environment activists blamed the passivity of NMC following pressure from Ganesh mandals, most of whom have politicians as patrons or office-bearers.
But green activists in the city are not happy as the civic body has not taken any firm decision to shift big idol immersions in abandoned quarries.
Reacting to NMC’s late initiative, Dinesh Naidu said, “We are deeply concerned about the increasing deterioration of city’s lakes and making continued efforts to build awareness among citizens regarding conservation of water bodies.”
“We have been trying to prevent pollution of Futala for last five to six Ganpati festivals,” said Naidu, adding, “Last year with NMC’s support and artificial tanks in place many NGOs could restrict immersion of at least 70-80% PoP idols,” he said, adding this showed citizens had opted for immersion of idols in artificial tanks and extended their cooperation to the civic body.
“But at the end of the day, it is the civic body which can protect city’s water bodies from pollution, by shifting immersion of idols to abandoned quarries,” he pointed out.
“Many cities have already realized and municipal bodies there have started taking initiatives to save water bodies in their jurisdiction. If the civic body feels then it can impose ban on immersion of idols in water bodies, especially at Telankghedi and Gandhisagar lakes,” he added.
Echoing Naidu, Daksha Borkar, deputy team leader of Green Vigil Foundation said: “Last year we received very good response from citizens as far as immersion of household idols are concerned. We were at Futala Lake (Air Force side) during all immersion days. There has been a growing awareness and educated citizens cooperate by immersing even clay idols in artificial tanks. But, NMC need to have a solution about restricting immersion of big idols in lakes from various mandals.
“Efforts undertaken in restricting immersion of 50 household idols go in vain, when one huge idol is immersed in a lake and we stand helpless. Unfortunately, this is the same story every year,” she pointed out.