God brings destruction to Bangalore lakes

Bangalore, Sept 25: The festivities marking

Chaturthi was celebrated with great pomp and gaiety across India's tech hub Bangalore. But immersion of idols of Ganesha is creating havoc to several lakes spread across the city.

Bangalore, also known as the city of lakes, host around 36 lakes in its various localities. Official figures indicate that lakhs of idols are immersed every year in these lakes.

Most of the lakes have been choked by large number of idols floating on its surface. Most of the lakes are fighting oily sludge and pieces of plaster of Paris left behind by the idols after their immersion.

The abnormal rise in the pollution level of lakes has come under the notice of Bruhat Bangalore Mahanagara Palike (BBMP). The municipal corporation has cut access to immersion in the Yediyur lake and Sankey tank.

Figures available with BBMP indicate that Yediyur lake saw the maximum number of immersions with more than 1.25 lakh Ganesh idols being immersed there. In west Bangalore, around 1.1 lakh idols were immersed in Sankey tank in last five days.

BBMP has put a ban on immersion of idols after Wednesday.

At Ulsoor lake, around 91,000 idols were immersed.

"Our workers are busy cleaning up the mess in immersion areas," informed an official of BBMP.

Experts say that immersion of idols hugely increase the toxicity level of lakes.

Environment activists have been demanding a ban on immersion of idols in pristine lakes of the city.

Karnataka State Pollution Control Board (KSPCB) has at least a dozen mobile immersion tanks in the city to provide citizens with an alternative. Unfortunately, devotees are not bothered to use the mobile immersion tanks. Thus, causing rise in pollution level of lakes.

OneIndia News