The Hindu : Andhra Pradesh / Hyderabad News : HUDA provides facilities for immersion at four lakes

Online edition of India's National Newspaper
Saturday, Sep 22, 2007
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Andhra Pradesh

Andhra Pradesh - Hyderabad

HUDA provides facilities for immersion at four lakes

M.L. Melly Maitreyi

The move is aimed at reducing load on Hussainsagar

Arrangements being made to remove idols as soon as they are immersed
Idols will be immersed in lakes at Safilguda, Saroornagar, Hasmathpet and Rangadhamuni

HYDERABAD: It may still be a long way for the campaign to promote eco-friendly idols using clay, bamboo and natural dyes to get translated into action to make a visible impact, yet measures are in place to reduce pollution of lakes by removing idols mostly made with hazardous chemical colours immediately along with other debris.

While Hussainsagar is the most favoured destination for immersion of Ganesh idols, HUDA also made arrangements at four lakes this year in erstwhile municipal areas for immersion of idols and their removal to check pollution of lake waters.

Awareness drive

At Safilguda, a lake restored and beautified by HUDA, a segregation pond was provided for immersion of idols exclusively with pumping arrangement. At other three lakes -- Saroornagar, a restored lake, Hasmathpet and Rangadhamuni -- platforms and arrangements similar to that of Hussainsagar were made for removal of immersed idols.

HUDA in association with GHMC, Irrigation Department erected platforms on the NTR Marg and positioned cranes for removal of big idols soon after their immersion from Hussain Sagar. This year 45 mini vans were also pressed into service for faster clearance, compared to 20 last year, to transport the debris and other waste to the dump yard at Jawaharnagar, said HUDA Vice-Chairman Jayesh Ranjan.

The BPPA officials have provided bamboo baskets near the platforms at Hussainsagar so that devotees would empty the used puja material like flowers, ‘Patri’, plastic covers, into the baskets without throwing them directly into the lake. They also roped in Centre of Environment Education members and students for an awareness building drive at the venue by putting up banners, distributing pamphlets appealing to devotees and individuals to segregate plastic and other waste before immersing idols.

Besides APPCB, HUDA also was collecting samples to study impact of immersion at a small lab set up by JBIC under the Hussainsagar Clean Up Project. HUDA’s long term plan alternative plan is to create a separate idol immersion pond opposite KIMS after all sources of pollutioninto Hussainsagar was comprehensively controlled under the massive JBIC aided project.

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