5,000 Ganesh idols immersed in 15 artificial ponds in Surat to spare Tapi

On Saturday, small-size idols of Gauri Ganesh and Badha Ganesh, which had been kept in people’s homes were taken on processions from various streets in the city, sources in Surat City Ganesh Utsav Samithi said. These idols were immersed in 15 of the SMC’s artificial ponds.

SMC Executive engineer D C Gandhi said, “We have made 21 artificial ponds in different zones in Surat to provide alternate arrangements for immersion. The ponds are of various sizes such as 55×30 square metres, 15×40 sqm, 25×25 sqm, depending upon the population of the areas.”

He added, “We have deployed team members in several artificial ponds to assist people in immersing the Ganesh idols. The idols were later taken out and loaded onto a truck and sent to the beach at Dumas. On Saturday, over 5,000 small size Ganesh idols had been immersed in the artificial ponds.”

To prevent the immersion of Ganesh idols in the Tapi river from various ovaras, policemen along with SMC staffers were deployed at eight of the wharfs in Surat city on Saturday. The public was also restrained from going to the ovaras by security officials. Apart from this, police staffers were also seen patrolling five bridges on the Tapi river, to control traffic.

“We have deployed police staffers at ovaras to prevent such immersion into the Tapi river. Apart from this our police staff are also maintaining traffic at several artificial ponds,” Police Commissioner in charge Hare Krishna Patel said, adding that this was the second time the police force was working with Surat Municipal officials to prevent immersion of Ganesh idols in the Tapi river. “Last year, not a single idol was immersed in the Tapi river. They were immersed in artificial ponds and in the sea at Dumas,” the officer said.