Tamil Nadu Pollution Control Board and District Collector T.N. Hariharan have urged the organisers of Vinayaka Chathurthi celebrations to avoid polluting water bodies by immersing idols painted with toxic chemicals.
In a release, the Collector and TNPCB said that in the recent years Vinayaka idols made as Plaster of Paris and painted with toxic chemicals were being immersed in water bodies resulting in pollution.
Eco-friendly
Hence, the public have been requested to go in for idols made of unbaked clay and other eco-friendly materials such as kizhangu flour or sago waste. The following places in Coimbatore have been identified for idol immersion: Singanallur lake and Muthannankulam, River Bhavani at Sirumugai Elagampalayam, Mettuppalayam Subramaniar Koil and Thekkampatti, Ambarampalayam river bed at Pollachi, River Noyyal, River Upparu in Anamalai and River Nadumalai in Valparai.
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