KMC to hold trial run of pollution-free immersion at Takta Ghat this year
Kolkata: Kolkata Municipal Corporation (KMC) for the first time this year will hold a trial for pollution-free immersion by adopting wash and melt mode using raw water for washing off the idols at Takta Ghat in Hastings.
The announcement was made by Chairman Board of Administrators Firhad Hakim on Saturday soon after a KMC team led by Member Board of Administrators in-charge of Parks & Squares department Debasish Kumar inspected a number of river ghats in the city for ensuring smooth immersion which starts from Friday.
"We will be doing a trial at Takta Ghat where hosepipe will be used to splash raw water to melt the idols instead of immersing them in the river. The clay will be channelized through a drainage line into the sewage treatment plant. This will prevent lead or similar pollutants from mixing with the river water and will curb pollution," Hakim said.
Mainak Mukherjee, Director General (Water Supply) will be responsible for supervision of this pollution-free immersion.
"If the trial of the 'wash and melt' model proves successful then such methods will be adopted in a large scale for immersions next year," added Hakim.
"We will have adequate payloaders and cranes in the ghats and the structures of the idols will be lifted immediately after immersion to curb water pollution. There are designated bins where flowers and leaves should be dumped before taking the idols to the water," Kumar said.
He visited Judges Ghat, Doi Ghat and Baje Kadamtala Ghat along with officials from Kolkata Police.
Covid guidelines will remain the same as last year.
No one will be allowed to enter the ghats without mask. Only four persons per family or Puja pandal would be allowed to go inside the ghat to complete the rituals.
Special team of police will be deployed for crowd monitoring. Idol immersion will take place at 22 ghats in Kolkata from October 15 to October 18.
The West Bengal Pollution Control Board (WBPCB) has given special emphasis to minimise the effect of water pollution in strict adherence to the National Mission for Clean Ganga (NMCG) immersion guidelines.
