Aims to reduce water pollution and avoid causality near lakes

Mysore/Mysuru: Rotary Mysore North has organised mass immersion of Ganesha idols installed at various places across the city on Aug. 31 evening, the day of Ganesha Chaturthi festival.

Disclosing this at a press meet held at Pathrakartara Bhavan here on Wednesday, Rotary District 3181 Governor Rtn. Prakash N. Karanth said that the mass immersion is specially organised to avoid water pollution.

“Rotary Mysore North has so far taken up various initiatives including Jalasiri, Vanasiri, Vidyasiri and Arogyasiri. The mass immersion of Ganesha idols is taken up under Jalasiri initiative to conserve water bodies and avoid pollution. Besides, this initiative also aims to avoid casualties that may occur near lakes during Ganesha Visarjane. Idols installed at various places by the public will be collected. Five tipper vehicles will be arranged to carry out the initiative where the idols will be immersed without harming the water bodies,” he said.

Rotary Mysore North will also be holding an awareness programme under the title ‘Save and Grow Environment’ (Parisara Ulisi-Belasi) to encourage the general public to install nature-friendly Ganesha idols, he added.

Rotary District 3181’s Vanasiri Working President and Rotary Mysore North Community Service Director Rtn. D.B. Rajashekhar Murthy said, “The whole programme is initiated by Rotary Mysore North President Rtn. S.H. Jagdish. In order to avoid the mishaps that occur during the Ganesha idol immersion at lakes and ponds, mass immersion initiative is taken up. On the festival day, Ganesh idols will be collected at five Circles in tippers and later on immersed in a safe manner.”

Rotary District 3181 Governor (2023-24) H.R. Keshav said, “We are thinking of extending our dates of the mass immersion ceremony. The vehicle used for the collection drive will travel around layouts. Speakers will be installed on these vehicles through which awareness messages against usage of Plaster of Paris (PoP) idols and its effects on nature will be announced. Also, leaflets and pamphlets with awareness messages will be distributed.”

On Aug. 31 at 4 pm, the tipper vehicle will be stationed at Agrahara Circle, Vivekananda-nagar Circle, Mathru Mandali Circle in Vontikoppal, Ganesha Temple near Siddarthanagar and Surya Bakery at Hebbal from where the idols will be collected.

Later, it will be immersed in the open wells and ponds of Agricultural lands, he explained.

Rotary Mysore North President Rtn. S.H. Jagdish, Secretary Rtn. K. Loknath and Zonal Lieutenant Rtn. Rajashekar Kadamba were present at the press meet.