For the time ever, the immersion of Ganesh idols will not be allowed in water bodies within Aarey colony in Mumbai.
On Tuesday, September 12, the CEO of Aarey colony, Goregaon, informed in the Bombay High Court (HC) that the immersion in natural lakes will not take place as the area is an eco-sensitive zone (ESZ).
This development comes as a blow to the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) and MLA Ravindra Waikar, who had written to the CEO of the Aarey Milk Colony for an exemption from the ban this year. Due to this ban, the civic body now faces the huge challenge of immersing thousands of idols, especially 350 public (public) idols, in water bodies in Aarey.
Environment NGO Vanashakti had filed a PIL in the HC requesting directions to the civic body to stop immersion of Ganesh idols in the three water bodies—Chhota Kashmir lake, Ganesh Mandir lake and Kamal lake—in Aarey.
In response, the BMC is preparing alternative arrangements for Ganpati immersions. Rajesh Akre, the assistant commissioner of the P South Ward, said, “There will be three floating talaos in Aarey for all domestic idols of height below 4 feet, one at the West gate, another at the Picnic spot and one will be mobile on the road in Dinkar Rao Desai Marg. There are also 14 artificial ponds in the ward.”
It has asked the BMC, state government, the Maharashtra State Pollution Control Board (MPCB), chief executive officer of the Aarey Colony and the member secretary of the monitoring committee for ESZ areas to furnish details of the steps taken to implement the CPCB’s guidelines dated May 12, 2020.
The court also instructed these authorities to submit a comprehensive response to the PIL filed by Vanashakti, inclusive of the actions taken to implement the directives from the Centre.
The response is to be filed in four weeks, and the date of the next hearing is November 1.
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