Civic body gears up for Ganesh immersion

KOLHAPUR: The civic administration has appealed to citizens to immerse Ganesh idols at the artificial immersion tanks and ponds that have been set up at visarjan spots. The Kolhapur Municipal Corporation (KMC) plans to set up artificial ponds at 21 sites across the city. Activists and KMC officials have requested devotees to cooperate and help in reducing pollution of the Panchganga River.
Nitin Desai, the KMC's additional commissioner, said, "We have completed the patchwork of the road leading to various visarjan spots and have also leveled the ground near the sites at Rankala and the Irani quarry area. Around 300 employees will be deployed to gather nirmalya that will be dumped by devotees along with Ganesh idols. Around 25 tractors will be deployed across the city to collect the Ganesh idols devotees donate and deposit them near Irani quarry. All departments have been instructed to be present at the visarjan spot to help devotees immerse the idol. Officials of the health department, disaster management and the fire brigade will be on duty to ensure any untoward incident."
Immersion tanks will be set up at all five places namely Panchganga Ghat, Kasaba Bawda, Rankala Lake, Kalamba Lake and the Koti tirtha area in the city, as citizens immerse idols in these areas. The KMC will also set up immersion tanks at Tambat Kaman area, Mangeshkar Nagar and at the Private High school premises, where devotees can immerse idols and deposit nirmalya. The deposited nirmalya will be transferred to another site once the immersion is completed.
Social activist Anil Chougule said, "The devotees deposit flowers, plastic, thermocol and paper, increasing Panchganga River pollution which is already polluted by industrial waste materials. Every year, we appeal to the public to deposit the nirmalya at a separate pond set up near the visarjan spot. People are responding to our drive and we hope the number of people participating in the Ganesh idol donation will increase this year."
In 2013, around 24,000 devotees immersed the idols at the artificial immersion tanks in the city and the KMC had collected around 70 tonne of nirmalya. This year, the civic body expects an increase in idols as well as nirmalya.
S S Doke, the regional officer of the Maharashtra Pollution Control Board (MPCB), Kolhapur, said, "We have appealed to people to take precautions to avoid water pollution. We have asked social activists and local leaders at the village level to persuade people to immerse idols at the artificial ponds near visarjan sites. We will gather all the nirmalya from the district and use it to prepare manure. The nirmalya from all the villages will be collected with help of local activists and industrialists."
Traditionally, Ganesh idols from city are immersed at four spots for many years. These areas are Panchganga river ghat, Irani quarry near Rankala Lake, Kotitirtha, Kalamba Lake and Rajaram bandhara in Kasaba Bawada. All idols from Kasaba Bawada, including those of Ganesh mandals are immersed in Rajaram Bandhara. The idols that are less than 15 feet height are immersed at Kotitirtha. The idols that are more than 15 feet in height are immersed at Panchganga river ghat and the Irani quarry area.
The immersion tanks will be set up at following places
*Raje Sambhaji Tarun Mandal, Patoudi quarry, Dutondi Ghat, Padpath Udyan, at a bridge near Jaragnagar, Panchganga Ghat, Private high school, Koti tirtha talav, Rajaram talav, Takala quarry, SIBER chowk, Janta Bazar chowk in Rajarampuri, Rajaram Bandhara, Ramanmala, Bapat camp, Ruikar colony nursery well, Masute mala and Gandhinagar Road.
* 300 KMC employees have been equipped with 25 tractors and trolleys to collect and dispose the nirmalya
* Patchwork of roads leading to immersion sites and levelling of ground has been done.
Obstacles on the road have been cleared.
* Disaster management teams and the fire brigade will be present at immersion spots.