BANGALORE: The Karnataka State Pollution Control Board (KSPCB) on Tuesday appealed to the public to buy Ganesh idols painted with natural colours.

In a release, KSPCB Chairman Abhijith Das Guptha appealed to people to avoid metal-painted idols as they contained toxic substances such as lead. Immersion of these idols in lakes, tanks and ponds would lead to deterioration of water quality in respect of conductivity, biochemical oxygen demand and concentration of heavy metals, he said.

Toxic chemicals used in making idols tend to leach out and pose serious problem of water pollution, he added.

Mr. Guptha appealed to the public to use only natural Ganesh idols or the ones painted with natural colours. He urged the public to remove all flowers and decorative material before immersion to avoid further pollution.

While the public can immerse the idols in a bucket of water at their homes and use the water for gardening, the board has arranged for mobile immersion tankers at several places in the city. The tankers would be parked on Sunday at Ramamurthinagar Police Station, Malleswaram Police Station, Jeevanbheemanagar Police Station, Peenya 2nd Stage Bus Stop, Jayanagar IV Block Police Station between 3 p.m. and 7 p.m. and at Mahadevapura Police Station, Yeshwanthpura Police Station, Hanumanthanagara Police Station, Ulsoor Police Station and Peenya Police Station between 7 p.m. and 10 p.m.

BDA's plea

The Bangalore Development Authority has urged residents of the city to abstain from immersing Ganesh idols in the Lalbagh Lake.

Instead, the residents have been advised to immerse the idols in decorated tankers that would be stationed at the entrance of Lalbagh Basavanagudi gate from August 27 to August 30. "Special kalyanis" (ponds) have been created at Yediyur, Ulsoor and Sankey tanks for immersion of the idols.

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