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The next hearing is on Sept 17, when we will get a clearer picture on the locations for immersion,” said a GCC official.
Officials who were a part of the meeting said that immersion in ponds and lakes required more planning, where water depth has to be shallow and barricaded. “After immersion, the location has to be desludged and waste accumulated should be removed within 24 hours,” said a TNPCB official. “The departments are looking for other locations, such as small ponds that were restored in the past year, where the immersion can happen in an eco-friendly way.
Meanwhile, puja organising units in the city said that taking away Pattinapakkam and Neelankarai could result in long travels for those looking to immerse idols exceeding 8ft in the sea. This means, people living in Adyar or Myalpore don’t have an alternative and look for lakes instead,” said J Das, member, Ganesh Puja Team, Madipakkam. “Other sea immersion points are in north Chennai.