Nashik citizens donate Ganesh idols instead of river immersion

Citizens of Nashik in Maharashtra have donated idols of Lord Ganesh instead of immersing them in the Godavari river to avoid water pollution on an appeal made by the city municipal corporation and social organisation, according to an official release issued here on Saturday.

The civic body has collected as many as 1,29,923 idols from the special stands set up for the purpose near the immersion points on the banks of the river on 'Anant Chaturdashi' day--September 12.

"Besides the idols, we have collected floral waste and other garbage weighing 108.035 tonnes in the six divisions of the municipal corporation," the release stated.

The municipal corporation had distributed 5.6 tonnes of Ammonium Bicarbonate powder among people for the easy disposal of the idols of Lord Ganesh made up of Plaster of Paris (PoP) which doesn't dissolve in water easily, it added.

The eleven-day festival was held from September 2 to September 12.