Residents of Rajpushpa Greendale in Tellapur conduct Ganesh immersion within their gated community premises
Instead of transporting idols to lakes and other immersion points, communities are creating designated immersion arrangements within their compounds. The practice is helping residents celebrate the festival collectively while reducing the movement of idols, plastic and other festival waste to water bodies.
Meanwhile, in an effort to reduce the environmental impact of Ganesh idol immersion, more than 6.2 tonnes of waste was collected and diverted from the lake at Mellacheruvu.
After the immersion, the clay was collected and reused for gardening within the community,” said KP Reddy, president of Magna Majestic Meadows, Kollur. We have sent all the waste to the processing units,” said E Ramana, president, Tellapur Neighbourhood Association. In Kollur, residents of Magna Majestic Meadows have set up a dedicated immersion facility within the community. “We created a fabricated iron tank exclusively for Ganesh immersion to avoid using lakes and reduce the environmental impact. The trend is particularly visible in large gated communities, where residents are making arrangements for immersion within their premises and ensuring that the process does not add to the burden on nearby lakes. At Muppa Melody in Osman Nagar, residents have combined an eco-friendly idol with in-house immersion. The community is using a clay Ganesha idol, with the clay being distributed among residents after the immersion. The remaining clay is being reused within the community for gardening, giving the material a second life instead of sending it out as waste. The emphasis on reducing disposable waste is also visible in few communities. Sancia in Tellapur has combined in-house immersion with a no-plastic initiative, while Mayfair Apartments has opted for eco-friendly decorations, with residents carrying their own plates and water bottles for ‘prasadam’. “The initiative helped prevent several tonnes of flowers, coconuts, plastic and puja-related material from entering the lake, while promoting segregation and responsible waste management during the immersion process.