As the festivities for Ganesh Chaturti began on Friday in the city, as many as 2.08 lakh idols were immersed in various tanks in the city.
Though the Plaster of Paris (PoP) variety dominated the bigger idols that were taken out in processions, the Bruhat Bengaluru Mahanagara Palike (BBMP) officials said it was heartening to note that only around 12,000 idols immersed were PoP idols.
This year saw people innovate with eco-friendly Ganesh idols, some of them even planting seeds inside the idols to make them grow into plants after they are immersed.
“Though it is too early to tell as only the first day figures have come to us, the fact that only 12,000 of 2.08 lakh idols immersed were of PoP indicates a change in practice. We will get the whole picture at the end of the festival,” a BBMP official said.
As per BBMP estimates, the highest number of PoP idol immersions happened in the South Zone in the Yediyur Lake (8,000), which also saw the highest number of idol imemrsions. The East Zone had the second highest number of PoP idols immersed (2,600).
Festive waste
BBMP said over 300 tonnes of garbage was also added to Bengaluru’s overall waste generated from all the zones on the first day. The city already generates approximately 4,200 tonnes of waste every day. From leftover banana stems in the prime market areas to flowers that were no longer fresh enough to be bought dotted several street-sides.
