The Times of India              11.07.2013

Idol immersions only in artificial tanks: Nagpur civic body

NAGPUR: The civic body's proposal to immerse all idols of Ganesh and other deities in artificial immersion tanks has a serious flaw. The Nagpur Municipal Corporation (NMC) has only one artificial immersion tank, at Sonegaon lake, so the ban on immersing idols in natural water bodies across the city will only be an eyewash.

Though the initiative is a positive step for conservation of water bodies, the draft policy is also impossible to implement for idols made of natural clay and installed by sarvajanik mandals.

Backing away from its tall claims of imposing a blanket ban on PoP idols, which pollute water bodies, the civic body has come up with a draft policy to regulate sale and immersion of plaster of paris idols in the water bodies. According to the draft, the civic body will ban immersion of all idols in natural water bodies, including idols made of natural clay, PoP or baked clay. All idols will have to be immersed in artificial immersion tanks.

NMC has 12 lakes in its jurisdiction, with idols immersed in at least seven of them. The only artificial tank for immersion of idols is available at Sonegaon lake. The tank is around 13 feet deep, but the water level is less than 10 feet. Besides, NMC had started to encourage devotees to immerse small idols, especially those made of PoP, in small plastic tanks that are 4 feet deep and store around 25-30,000 litre water.

NMC data says there are around 3 lakh small idols and 1,000 big idols installed by sarvajanik mandals. The maximum height of big idols is 25 feet and minimum 10 feet. These figures raise a big question on how NMC plans to implement its proposal.

Strong opposition is expected from the sarvajanik mandals and corporators over the restriction on immersing idols in water bodies. However, the current NMC administration will script history if it succeeds in implementing the policy properly.

However, even senior NMC officials admit the restriction on immersion of big clay idols in water bodies is almost impossible to implement. "NMC can only encourage devotees by making sufficient artificial water tanks available to ensure immersion of as many idols as possible. For this, the number of plastic tanks installed last year is woefully inadequate," said an officer.

Condemning the draft policy, corporator Prakash Gajbhiye, who installs the tallest idol of Lord Ganesha, told TOI it is almost impossible to restrict idols installed by sarvajanik mandals. "My mandal installs idols over 25 feet high. Where will we immerse it? Besides, the sentiments of thousands of devotees will be hurt. We will lodge an objection to the draft policy," he said.

Giving his first reaction to the draft policy, mayor Anil Sole said the general body had already given its opinion on total ban on PoP idols. "Let the process be completed and let the proposal come up before the general body. Citizens' suggestions and objections will have to be taken care of. If the administration has any technical problem in banning PoP idols, NMC house will request the government to impose the ban on their sale and immersion," he said.

Know your idols