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24 waterbodies, mostly irrigation tanks, have been identified in Vellore, Ranipet, Tirupattur and Tiruvannamalai by respective district administrations and the Tamil Nadu Pollution Control Board (TNPCB) for idol immersion as part of Vinayaka Chaturthi, which will be celebrated on September 7.
In Tiruvannamalai, eight waterbodies including Thamarai Kulam, Polur lake, Singarapettai lake, Konarirayan Kulam, Aithu Kaan Varapathi lake, and Bhuma Chetty Kulam have been chosen for idol immersion. In Ranipet, two waterbodies each in Ranipet, Arcot and Arakkonam towns have been identified for the purpose.
Six lakes including Adhiyur (Tirupattur town), Kallukuttai (Natrampalli), Sandrorkuppam (Ambur), Ponneri (Jolarpettai) and Pallipattu (Vaniyambadi) in Tirupattur district, three lakes in Vellore and one in Gudiyatham have been identified for idol immersion.
The local police and revenue officials have initiated safety measures including erection of wooden barricades near the waterbodies and creation of pathways to allow the idol procession to the lakes. On the day of immersion, a team of police personnel will be deployed near the waterbodies to ensure the safety of devotees. The police team will also ensure that immersion takes place near the lake bunds. The entire procession will be video-graphed.
Revenue officials said that most of the identified waterbodies are maintained by the Water Resources Department (WRD). As a result, strict guidelines have been issued to the organisers to prevent contamination of the waterbodies which are mostly used for irrigation and recharge of groundwater in the area. Local bodies have also dug borewells along the lake bunds to supply water for its residents.
TNPCB officials said idols made up of only natural, biodegradable, eco-friendly raw materials would be permitted for safe immersion. They should not contain any toxic, inorganic raw materials such as traditional virtuous clay and must be free from Plaster of Paris, plastic and thermocol (polystyrene).. The ornaments for idols must be made using dried flower components and straw. Use of toxic and non-biodegradable chemical dyes, and oil paints for painting has been strictly prohibited.
Published - September 04, 2024 11:53 pm IST
