Grand processions mark immersion of Lord Ganesh idols in Visakhapatnam

Smooth Lord Ganesh idol immersion in city, marred by PoP litter on beaches, prompting pollution concerns and cleanup appeals.

The immersion of Lord Ganesh idols was a festive affair in the city on Thursday, with grand processions being taken out on city thoroughfares.

Special teams were deployed by the authorities concerned to ensure that the immersion processions went off smoothly. The GVMC and the city police identified several places for immersion of the idols.

However, the celebrations ended on an disenchanting note as denizens found beaches littered with idols made of Plaster of Paris (PoP). The general public and a few social service organisations lamented the state of affairs at the beaches, with many idols unceremoniously being left on the shore instead of being immersed in the water. Large quantities of PoP material and plastic waste were also left behind by the revellers, in flagrant defiance of the many appeals made by the district administration and environmental organisations to opt for clay idols.

Denizens appealed to the district administration to clear the debris from the beaches at the earliest, in view of the pollution risks. “The paints used on PoP idols contain heavy metals and poisonous chemicals that can pollute water and soil. We hope officials remove the debris at the earliest,” said Sohan Hatangadi, vice-president of Greater Visakha Citizens’ Forum.

The GVMC deployed nearly 700 additional sanitation workers in all zones except Zone 5, at immersion points at the beach and other suitable water bodies in the city.

Thirteen specific immersion points were earmarked by GVMC engineers and police. Four supervisors were appointed to oversee the proceedings at the higher levels.

The beaches identified for immersion were Bheemili, Appikonda, Yarada, Jodugullapalem, Sagar Nagar, Naval Canteen, IT Junction and Mangamaripeta, while the Gosthani river was also identified for immersion.