Immersion sans pollution

by September 21, 2011 Environment

Puttenahalli Lake in JP Nagar 7th Phase celebrated Ganesha Chaturthi this year sans the problems faced by most of the other lakes in Bangalore.

Ganesha Chaturthi = colourful Ganeshas + flowers + immersion in water bodies

Immersion in a big drum on the bund of Puttenahalli Lake Pic: Usha Rajagopalan

Sankey Tank in Malleshwaram was the immersion ground for more than 50,000/- Ganeshas of varying sizes (according to local police figures). The festivity here also contributed a few lorry-loads of rotting flowers and leaves that were sent to landfills (according to local resident observations). 

Puttenahalli Lake, unlike Sankey Tank is a very small lake. And unlike Sankey Tank, the lake was not included in BBMP’s list of designated immersion points this year. ‘Idol immersion’ is clearly mentioned in the list of prohibitions at Puttenahalli Lake, but despite this, it was expected that residents of the neighbourhood would come with their Ganeshas, for want of any other convenient site.

And come they did! But Puttenahalli Neighbourhood Lake Improvement Trust (PNLIT), which is maintaining the lake was prepared.

People were informed that immersion inside the lake was not permitted by the BBMP and instead they were offered a big water drum on the lake bund to put their Ganeshas in. Prohibitions apart, the lake fencing with its sharp spikes is also a deterrent – climbing over it can prove to be quite a challenge. So the devotees of the area were most co-operative and over the three-four days, about 30-odd Ganeshas were thus immersed in our water drum. Flowers and other organic material went into our compost pile to become one with the earth in a few weeks time.

Research conducted at Hussainsagar Lake in Hyderabad (by Vikram Reddy and Vijay Kumar, published in Current Science, Dec 2001) has indicated that the immersion of painted idols results in a significant change in the content of the lake water. The concentration levels of substances like calcium, magnesium, molybdenum and silicon increase above the desirable. The presence of toxic heavy metals like arsenic, lead and mercury also cross the permissible limits after idol immersion. In aquatic environments, heavy metals like these persist and their effect accumulates and magnifies as they move up the food chain. So the fish, birds and other creatures that we rejoice seeing at Puttenahalli Lake would surely get affected. Not to mention us, humans, through food and groundwater.

With this knowledge, we are so glad that the aquatic and avian life at Puttenahalli Lake has been spared this time around.While Puttenahalli Lake is no comparison to Sankey Tank, in terms of age, lake size and Ganesha numbers, we really hope that the Sankey experience next year is as nice as what it was at Puttenahalli!

⊕References
Effects of Ganesh-idol immersion on some water quality parameters of Hussainsagar Lake by M. Vikram Reddy and M. Vijay Kumar, published in Current Science, Vol 81, No 11, 10 Dec 2001

Sections:

About Arathi Manay Yajaman

Arathi is a market researcher who loves to run and write. She has been actively involved in issues that affect citizens, including apartment management, waste management and lakes. She used to live in Mumbai and is now based in Bengaluru, working as a Community Anchor with Citizen Matters.
Read more by Arathi Manay Yajaman

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

Similar Story

Commuters, vendors bear the brunt of rising air pollution in Chennai’s Ambattur

by January 13, 2026 Environment
IIT-M’s Project Kaatru finds high PM2.5 levels at Ambattur Estate, Padi flyover and Dairy Road, exposing residents to dust and pollution daily.

Commuters passing through Ambattur Industrial Estate inevitably find a layer of dust coating their vehicles, faces, and hands. For Lalitha*, a domestic worker employed at a high-rise apartment near Padi flyover’s Saravana Stores, the last two weeks of December have been especially unbearable. "Dust, dust, dust everywhere," she says, coughing through a persistent cold. At 6 pm, when the rush hour begins, it takes her nearly 30 minutes by bus to cover the 5 km journey home. The ride to the Dunlop area is punctuated by pollution, blaring horns, and endless traffic snarls. “It should take 15 minutes usually, but…

Continue reading

Similar Story

முதல்வர் சீக்கிரம் அடிக்கல் நாட்ட வேண்டும் என்பதற்காக அறிவியல்  ஆய்வுகளைப் புறந்தள்ளுவதா?

by January 9, 2026 Environment
CRZ clearance has been granted for a new drinking water reservoir in the naturally formed coastal salt marshes in Chengalpattu near Chennai.

செங்கல்பட்டு மாவட்டம், திருப்போரூர் மற்றும் திருக்கழுக்குன்றம் வட்டங்களுக்குட்பட்ட வருவாய் கிராமங்களில், இயற்கையாக அமைந்துள்ள கழுவேலி, உப்பங்கழி நீர்நிலையில், புதிய குடிநீர் நீர்த்தேக்கம் அமைக்க CRZ அனுமதி வழங்கியுள்ளது மாநில கடற்கரை ஒழுங்குமுறை மண்டல ஆணையம். இத்திட்டத்தின் முதல் கட்டத்தில் நெம்மேலி, கிருஷ்ணகாரனை, தண்டலம், பட்டிபுலம், திருப்போரூர், மாமல்லபுரம், சலுவான்குப்பம், பையனூர் ஆகிய வருவாய் கிராமங்களுக்குட்பட்ட 4375 ஏக்கர் பரப்பளவில் வருவாய்த்துறை, நீர்வளத்துறைக்குச் சொந்தமான இடங்களில் நீர்த்தேக்கம் அமைக்கத் திட்டமிடப்பட்டுள்ளது. 1.655TMC கொள்ளளவு கொண்ட இந்நீர்த்தேக்கம் மேற்கூறிய கிராமங்களைச் சேர்ந்த 50 ஆயிரத்துக்கும் மேற்பட்ட மக்களின் குடிநீர்த் தேவையைப் பூர்த்தி செய்யும் எனவும் அருகாமை கிராமங்களின் வெள்ள பாதிப்பைக் குறைக்கும் எனவும் அரசுத் தரப்பில் கூறப்படுகிறது. Map showing components of the Kovalam reservoir. Pic courtesy: Tamil Nadu Water Resources Department. இத்திட்டத்திற்கான விண்ணப்பத்தை 17.11.2025 அன்று  தொழில் நுட்ப  வல்லுநர் குழு பரிசீலித்தது. 20.11.2025 அன்று  மாநில கடற்கரை  மண்டல ஆணையம் விண்ணப்பத்தைை பரிசீலித்து CRZ அனுமதிக்கு பரிந்துரைக்கிறது.…

Continue reading