KMC on its toes to remove idol structures

Kolkata: The Kolkata Municipal Corporation (KMC) is working round-the-clock to remove the structures of the idol of Goddess Durga from the ghats along the Hooghly.

The idols of 70 award-winning community Durga Puja committees were immersed on Friday following the grand Carnival on Red Road.

Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee tweeted: "The #DurgaPujo festival came to a close yesterday with the vibrant and colourful #Bishorjon procession of the award-winning idols at Red Road. The #KolkataPujoCarnival showcased the culture of #Bangla. Sharing with you some moments from yesterday.

"Our Govt in #Bangla has been organising this unique #KolkataPujoCarnival since 2016. It transforms into a milieu of cultures, with guests and dignitaries not only from #Bangla but other parts of the country and the world."

Debashis Kumar, Member, Mayor-in-Council (Parks and Squares) who visited the ghats along with senior civic officials on Saturday said the work is on to remove the structures from the ghats which are likely to be cleared by Saturday evening.

As a part of the drive to keep Hooghly pollution-free, the KMC is removing the structures of the idols of the deity within a few minutes of their immersion.

The ghats along river Hooghly had been brightly illuminated and heavy-duty cranes were engaged to remove the structures which have been taken to the dumping ground at Dhapa with the help of conservancy trucks.

Kumar said the civic authorities have requested the image makers not to use chemical colours to paint the idols. The colours are costly and cannot meet the demand. But a day will come when non-chemical colours will be used to paint the Durga idols, he maintained.

The flowers that are used to offer prayers have not been allowed to be thrown into the river. It may be mentioned that the Housing Infrastructure Development Corporation (HIDCO) along with an NGO has introduced a unique system where all the flowers will be collected to produce chemical-free 'abir'.