The Indian Express                20.09.2013

PMC initiative pays off, 2 lakh idols immersed in water tanks

Pune Municipal Corporation's (PMC) joint initiative with social organisations and citizens groups has yielded good result as citizens preferred to immerse Ganesh idols in civic water tanks than in water bodies across the city.

Of the 3.57 lakh idols immersed in the city, over two lakh were at civic facilities. These included 1.59 lakh in the concrete tanks constructed by civic body at various locations while 44,000 in steel water tanks. Around 59,000 idols were immersed in river, 52,000 at ghats, 38,000 in canals, 1,000 in wells and 500 in lakes.

The PMC had put up garbage containers at 99 locations in addition to 97 specially designed containers across the city. The civic administration collected 432 tonnes waste at the immersion locations and it includes citizens' participation in collection of 97 tonnes of nirmalya before it could pollute the water body.

Around 125 wastepickers of SWaCH, cooperative of wastepickers, with support of 400 volunteers, collected 97 tonnes of nirmalya at various immersion spots, mostly alongside Mutha river. The volunteers included school and college students, representatives of social organisations and corporate sector. The waste collection continued throughout the immersion period despite heavy rainfall.

The waste comprised paper, plastic, thermocol, flowers, coconuts, fruits and cloth apart from idols made of sand and plaster of paris. The SWaCH members part of door to door collection work have been recovering organic and inorganic waste, and ensuring that it enters the recycling stream. The bio degradable nirmalya is transported to different agencies for processing into compost.

This year, bio-degradable nirmalya has been sent to various locations for composting, including Kothrud Blind School, Dilasa School, Sangam World Centre, Aundh Ramp, SWaCH offices in Kothrud and Katraj Ramp.