Indore (Madhya Pradesh): A year after drawing flak for discarding truckloads of Lord Ganesha idols in a water body, once-bitten, twice-shy Indore Municipal Corporation (IMC) used a hydraulic machine for immersion of idols this year. Ganesha idols collected from the city were ceremoniously immersed in a rain-fed pond at Jawahar Tekri on Dhar Road on Saturday.
The idols were taken to Jawahar Tekri in 102 Eicher vehicles. Mayor Pushyamitra Bhargav performed rituals after which the immersion was performed.
Last year, IMC employees had been caught on camera dumping truckloads of Ganesha idols in a water body at Jawahar Tekri. After Chief Minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan took serious note of the incident, an FIR was registered against 11 IMC employees for “attempting to hurt religious sentiments”. This year, IMC ensured that such an incident was not repeated.
Mayor Pushyamitra Bhargav and IMC officials perform immersion of Lord Ganesha’s idols at Jawahar Tekri pond on Saturday. | ANAND SHIVRE
Bhargav stated that they had used a new technology of a conveyor belt and hydraulic platform for respectful and dignified immersion of the Ganesha idols. A day before immersion, Bhargav and municipal commissioner Pratibha Pal inspected Jawahar Tekri and gave instructions to officials that immersion of the Ganesha idols should be done in a dignified and respectful manner.
For the immersion of Ganesha idols, IMC, for the first time, used the hydraulic system, conveyor belt and 5 Poclain machines for immersion. The Ganesha idols were first placed on the hydraulic platform and then lowered into the pond. “When the hydraulic platform touched the water, the lower part of the platform was opened and the idols placed on it got released into the water.
IMC’s electrical and mechanical department-in-charge Jitendra Yadav said that the conveyor belt and hydraulic platform had been prepared through the resources of the corporation.
