NMC favours eco-friendly Ganapati idols

Nashik: Municipal commissioner Ashok Karanjkar has appealed to residents to ensure that the Godavari and its three tributaries — Nandini, Waghadi and Waldevi — were not polluted during Ganeshotsav , beginning September 19.He said instead of Plaster of Paris (PoP) idols, the citizens should use eco-friendly ones for celebrating the 10-day festival.The Nashik Municipal Corporation (NMC) commissioner held a meeting with officials on Tuesday, during which he directed them to ensure that the Godavari and its three tributaries were not polluted during the festival. Karnjkar told them to create adequate artificial ponds for the devotees to immerse the Ganeshs idols.NMC deputy commissioner Vijay Kumar Mundhe said, “We have been creating artificial ponds across six divisions of the civic body during the festival for the past many years. Maximum people donate their idols to the civic body. The idols are collectively immersed in accordance with the rituals.”An NMC official said the administration would soon finalise the natural immersion spots and create artificial ponds for the coming festival. The public works department will provide vehicles for collection of Ganeshs idols on immersion days. In 2022, the NMC had collected over 1.5 lakh Ganapati idols at the collection centres. This year, the administration is expecting a 20% rise in the number.