Nagpur: A centuries-old Ganesh immersion tradition of the Bhonsale dynasty has brought it into direct conflict with Nagpur Municipal Corporation (NMC), after the Maskarya Ganpati idol was immersed in Gandhisagar Lake despite a blanket ban on immersion in natural water bodies.
Rs36.92 crore was spent on the first phase of the project, which received overall administrative approval of Rs49.82 crore, according to PHE department information. As of Friday, 10 idols had been immersed against 129 installed across the city. Raje Mudhoji Bhosale asserted that the tradition would continue, while NMC issued a show-cause notice to its Dhantoli zonal officer over the incident. The incident has also raised questions over enforcement of the ban, given the substantial expenditure on rejuvenating the historic lake. The works included desilting, strengthening lake walls and developing pathways and electrification infrastructure. NMC has arranged a dedicated facility for traditional Maskarya Ganesh idol immersion at the tank at Police Line, Takli. Mayor Neeta Thakre has appealed to mandals to use the facility to prevent water pollution.
NMC deputy municipal commissioner (Solid Waste Management) Rajesh Bhagat said the state govt and municipal commissioner Vipin Itankar had prohibited idol immersion in natural water bodies. “An idol was immersed in Gandhisagar on Thursday night despite the blanket ban,” Bhagat said, adding that NMC had issued a show-cause notice to assistant municipal commissioner and Dhantoli zonal officer Pramod Wankhede, seeking an explanation as to why action should not be taken against him. Bhosale claimed the idol, made of clay without plastic, thermocol or other non-biodegradable materials, dissolved completely in water and did not cause pollution. He questioned why the traditional immersion was being opposed when the lake was built by his ancestors and has been associated with the family’s Ganesh idols for centuries. The public health engineering (PHE) department is responsible for implementing the orders.