LUCKNOW: The state capital on Friday celebrated eco-friendly Durga Puja with as many as 242 idols immersed in artificial ponds rather in the Gomti river to protect the flora and fauna.
This is the second time that idols were immersed in artificial ponds rather than the Gomti during Durga Puja. For the first time in 2019 the practice was started on the direction of the high court to prevent rivers from getting polluted.
Lucknow Municipal Corporation (LMC) made arrangements of eco-friendly immersions after drawing flak from people for not doing so during the Ganesh Chaturthi last month. Devotees were then forced to immerse idols directly into the river, resulting in pollution. However, this time, TOI in its reality check of Jhulelal Vatika and Kudiya Ghat, witnessed regulatory readiness by the LMC. Support from organisers and public, too, ensured that the idol immersion in the artificial ponds went off smoothly.
While the municipal corporation barricaded a 100-metre radius of the Gomti and dug out three artificial ponds, each estimating 3,600sqft and 15 metres in length, the local police were also deployed to ensure Covid protocol at the banks. Cranes were positioned for immersion, while polythene filters were spread on the surface of ponds to sieve pollutants. Civic workers also remained on toes, removing idol remains after every immersion to prevent waterlogging.
Organisers said limited height of idols and the government guideline of allowing only five to eight persons at a spot also added to the trouble-free immersion.
"Everything was in order. There was no chaos this time. The civic body did its job perfectly this time and even the public coordinated with them," said Tuhin Banerjee, organiser of Trans-Gomti Durga Puja and Dussehra Committee. Akshay Chakraborty, a devotee, said, "I was not at all expecting such an excellent arrangement by the civic authorities. Everything was well managed and the po-
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Kudos to people and the LMC for the eco-friendly immersions and in the process setting examples for other districts.
Though the LMC did not make such arrangements during the Ganesh Chaturthi, this time the civic body showed if there is a will even the most arduous tasks can be done without much difficulty.
