Pune Police Commissioner Dr K Venkatesham has suggested the Pune Municipal Corporation to create booths – like the polling booths – to collect donated Ganesh idols on the visarjan day
Pune: Pune Police Commissioner Dr K Venkatesham has suggested the Pune Municipal Corporation to create booths – like the polling booths – to collect donated Ganesh idols on the visarjan day of the 10-day long festival. He also appreciated the PMC’s decision to make available mobile immersion tanks for Ganesh idol visarjan and stated that this decision is being welcomed by other cities.
Mayor Murlidhar Mohol, Commissioner Dr Venkatesham, Joint Commissioner of Police Dr Ravindra Shisve interacted with the media on Tuesday. Additional Commissioner of Police Dr Sanjay Shinde, Ashok Morale, Deputy Commissioner of Police Mitesh Ghatte, Bachchan Singh and Prasad Akkanvaru attended the press conference.
Mayor Mohol said, “Citizens should immerse the Ganesh idols at their home this year. This appeal has been receiving good response from the citizens. In addition, arrangements will be made for idol donation under jurisdictions of 15 ward offices of the Pune Municipal Corporation. Citizens should give priority to celebrate Ganeshotsav in an environmentally friendly manner.”
Dr Shisve said, “There are about five lakh household Ganpatis in the city and their immersion on the last day has become a contentious issue. If four people step out of one house for immersion, about 20 lakh people will be on the streets, which will increase the risk of spreading coronavirus infection. Instead, citizens should immerse Ganesh idols at their homes and societies. There are Ganesh Mandals, many of which will celebrate the festival by coming together. Only 30 to 35 per cent of mandals will be given permission to build small pandals to install Ganesh idols as these mandals do not have their own temples.”
On this occasion, Vedmurti Dr Madhav Kelkar, a member of Dharmashastra Vichar Mandal, also guided on how to celebrate Ganeshotsav at domestic level during the Covid-19 epidemic. Along with Dr Kelkar, other members Prakash Dandage, Pankaj Kelkar and Mandar Khaldakar of Dharmashastra Vichar Mandal have also appealed for celebrating Ganeshotsav in an environment-friendly manner.
Vedmurti Dr Madhav Kelkar says: