After ‘visarjan’, monumental clean-up in Lucknow

LUCKNOW: With Lucknow Municipal Corporation yet to begin cleaning of pollutants left behind in the Gomti after immersion of Ganesh idols, a group of volunteers has taken up the task to pick idols floating in the river and remove waste accumulated along the banks.
The group took the decision after visiting the Gomti ghats where they found garbage strewn all over the bank and deposited in the puddles along the shoreline, threatening flora and fauna of the river.A lone artificial pit created earlier was also full of trash.The entire area was reeking of a foul smell.

Such a situation, the volunteers said, has been created because the LMC did not make artificial ponds or pits for the land immersion of idols this year, resulting in most devotees performing the ritual directly in the river, while some using an old artificial pit created earlier. Also, no one from the civic body has come so far to clean up the banks even two days after the conclusion of the Ganesh Puja, they added The group, comprising 25 members of Swachh Paryavaran Andolan Sena (SPAS), hired three boats, bought some nets and started fishing out idols floating or submerged in the river. They also brought paraphernalia to collect waste and clear hyacinth from the banks “In two days, we have taken out around 1,000 small and medium size idols from the river water near Jhulelal Vatika and respectfully performed their land immersion. Some tiny idols were placed around a tree in the compound of a temple located on the banks,” said Ranjeet Singh, the team leader and former corporator of Mankameshwar Ward under which the area falls.
All team members arrive at around 5am and devote four hours daily for the noble cause, he added.
“We will continue our campaign till the entire area is cleaned and also ask LMC to make provision for artificial pits for idol immersion during Durga Puja next month,” said Jeet Sharma, a SPAS member.
The practice of land immersion of idols in Lucknow started in 2019 on the direction of the high court, which took a serious view of alarmingly high pollution levels in the rivers in the state. The practice was carried out successfully for two years, but this time LMC failed to comply with the court order.