Sinister design behind Bandi’s allegations on Ganesh immersion in Hussain Sagar

Hyderabad: There appears to be a sinister design behind the allegations by Bharatiya Janata Party State president Bandi Sanjay Kumar that the State government was trying to obstruct the Ganesh idol immersion process, because facts reflect an entirely different story. What the BJP State chief forgot, or chose to forget, in what many say was […]

Hyderabad: There appears to be a sinister design behind the allegations by Bharatiya Janata Party State president Bandi Sanjay Kumar that the State government was trying to obstruct the Ganesh idol immersion process, because facts reflect an entirely different story.

What the BJP State chief forgot, or chose to forget, in what many say was his attempt to vitiate the atmosphere during the festival, was that the State government was actually going all out to make the Ganesh immersion process a smooth one by providing more facilities for devotees.

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From artificial ponds (baby ponds) near water bodies, to portable ponds and even mobile ponds at the door step, apart from tight security to prevent any trouble, the State’s efforts have been to make things easier for the devotee. And these, as pointed out by some on Twitter, like K Pratik Reddy for instance, were also part of implementing guidelines issued by the Central Pollution Control Board and orders of the Supreme Court and the High Court.

Reddy, hinting at attempts to brand the State government as against one particular community, also attached copies of the directions issued by the High Court while hearing a petition on the issue in July this year. The court had asked the State to ‘plan and regulate diversion of Plaster of Paris (PoP) made idols from the Hussain Sagar and to ensure their immersion in the baby ponds created by the GHMC…’.

The High Court also pointed out that PoP idols were allowed in 2021 by the Supreme Court, only ‘as a last chance’, ‘in view of the undertaking given in that in future, the State would not allow immersion of idols in Hussain Sagar’. This was after the Solicitor General of India, appearing for the GHMC Commissioner who filed a special leave petition, said the immersion of PoP idols would be banned from next year (2022) in view of the revised guidelines of the CPCB, and pleaded for exemption in 2021 as there was paucity of time for new plans.

He also assured the SC that steps would be taken to minimize pollution to Hussain Sagar, that modernized cranes would be deployed at immersion sites and that the idols immersed would be lifted soon and transported to solid waste dumping sites for recycling, following which the apex court directed the State to submit compliance report in respect of the directions. The State government has in fact been doing this for the last few years.

The guidelines also say that ‘idols made up of only natural, bio-degradable, eco-friendly raw materials without any toxic, inorganic raw materials ([such as traditional virtuous clay and mud as well as free from Plaster of Paris (PoP), plastic and thermocol (polystyrene)] should be encouraged, allowed and promoted and idols made up of Plaster of Paris (PoP) shall be banned’.

Bandi Sanjay Kumar also forgot that the State had not banned Ganesh immersion in the Hussain Sagar yet, but only took steps to promote clay Ganesh idols, with the GHMC alone distributing four lakh clay idols, apart from taking up different initiatives to offer more immersion facilities in the form of artificial ponds. His allegations that the government was obstructing Ganesh immersion activities therefore appear unsubstantiated.