Think before immersing idols in lakes

Think before immersing idols in lakes
Karnataka State Pollution Control Board found that organisms survived in the lakes and water bodies where unpainted idols were immersed.
Deccan Herald

The next time you immerse your Ganesha idol in the neighbourhood lake, think about what it costs the State exchequer. Lakhs of rupees are spent every year to restore lakes after the Ganesha Chaturthi festival, and it’s the taxpayers’ money.

Around this time last year, the city’s pristine lakes had spewed heavy metals such as copper and lead, polluted them beyond norm and rendered it unhealthy for drinking. If you are guessing that it was probably because of Ganesha idols immersed carelessly in the just-renovated tanks, you are guessing right.

“Let’s not destroy Ganesha’s own creation - the city’s lakes. Every 100 gms of toxic paint contains up to 12 gms of lead, which is harmful to children and reduces their Intelligence Quotient,” said Karnataka State Pollution Control Board Member-Secretary V Rashmi.

The KSPCB had carried out a study soon after the Ganesha Chaturthi festival last year and found that some lakes had suffered almost 80 per cent damage. “
KSPCB studied the effects of immersion of painted and unpainted idols on acquatic life after the immersion. The bio-assay analysis reports reveal that in water samples where unpainted idols were immersed, fish and other water organisms survived 100 per cent. In water samples where painted idols were immersed, survival rate ranged from 20 to 80 per cent,” said Ms Rashmi.

Further, 45 water samples from six major lakes indicated presence of heavy metals such as copper, lead, iron, magnesium and calcium after the festival. Over 71.1 per cent of the samples had pollutants which exceeded drinking water quality parameters.

Bangalore Mahanagara Palike (BMP) chief engineer Rame Gowda, when contacted, said the Palike spent over Rs 1 lakh to clear up each of the ‘designated lakes’ after the festival last year.

“If the people use only the designated lakes - at Sankey Tank, Ulsoor Lake and Yediyur Lake - it does not cost us much -- only about Rs 1 lakh in clearing them up. But if they immerse idols in the main lake, it causes greater harm,” said Mr Gowda.

The Lake Development Authority has spent over Rs 50 crore so far to restore 27 lakes of the 81 lakes in the city. Once upon a time, the city boasted of 262 lakes!
“Let’s not re-pollute the lakes and also make way for reducing the IQ of our future generation,” is the LDA’s message.