Surat: Surat Municipal Corporation (SMC) now needs to complete construction of 20 artificial ponds for immersion of Ganesha idols before September 23. Else people will immerse some 73,000 idols both smaller and bigger than 5 feet in size in Tapi, defeating the whole objective of checking pollution in the river for which idol immersion was banned by city police and SMC authorities Saturday last.
Local authorities are busy constructing artificial ponds for 65,000 idols. They feel 8,000 idols which are bigger than 5 feet in size will be immersed by people in the sea at Dumas and Hajira.
SN Jariwala, additional city engineer, who is in -charge of construction of 20 artificial ponds, said, “We have started building these ponds at different places of the seven municipal zones at a cost of Rs1 crore. They will be ready before the immersion date of September 23.”
These 20 artificial ponds will hold nearly 214,00,000 litres of water for immersion of the idols. More than 30,000 idols were immersed in 11 artificial ponds that were built by the civic body last year. This year, nearly 65,000 idols will be immersed in the 20 ponds.
Jariwala said the coloured water will be taken to sewage treatment plant. The water will be released after it is treated.
Local authorities are busy constructing artificial ponds for 65,000 idols
