This assumes significance in the light of the flak received by the PMC last year for the ‘undesirable’ manner in which they had disposed the idols.
Since Anant Chaturdashi (September 11) is fast approaching, a professor from the Indian Institute of Technology (IIT), Mumbai, Shyam Asolekar has some valuable immersion tips for the civic body.
This assumes significance in the light of the flak received by the Pune Municipal Corporation (PMC) last year for the ‘undesirable’ manner in which they had disposed of the idols taken from the multiple tanks provided by them at various ghats in the city.
Asolekar, who has worked on various environment projects and authored two books, suggested that the municipal authorities can construct concrete or earthen tanks lined with HDPE polymeric sheets (two layers) to avoid seepage of contaminated water for
immersion.
Such man-made ponds (or tanks) can be constructed adjoining lakes, rivers and beaches. After idol immersion in the tanks, the water may be pumped out into tankers and sent for treatment and disposal to nearby paint factories. The sediment at the bottom of tank may be gainfully used to create bricks, tiles and alternate building materials.
Once the tanks are emptied, the polymeric liner can be rolled and folded away and stored for use in following years. The dug out material (soil and murum) then can be refilled in the tank pits
and leveled.
“There is no need to create any permanent structure for idol immersion,’’ he said.
Considering that treatment of waste water or sediment in the tank may pose difficulties, Asolekar said that water can be allowed to evaporate and the bottom sludge after immobilisation of heavy metals and other pollutants in it.
Asolekar has appealed to the people to go for dry immersion which he feels is a better solution. “All idols received for public immersion could be received in dry (empty) cement or earthen tanks created adjoining lakes, rivers, beaches. Even the gardens, community halls or school premises may be used to receive such idols. All the collected idols may be crushed and the powdered material can be gainfully used to create bricks, tiles and alternate building materials,’’ he said.
The society now needs to look at such non-traditional solutions so that pollution problem can be solved more economically and easily, he said. According to Asolekar, communities and families can perform dry immersion every year.
It can be performed in empty pots and trays by sprinkling a few drops of water and idols may be wiped and stored for reuse in the following years. If every Ganesh mandal and family reinstitutes the same idol for five years, the pollution caused will be reduced by
five times.
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