Hyderabad: Ganesh panel deflects blame of polluting Hussainsagar lake

Hyderabad: The suggestion from the High Court to the Bhagyanagar Ganesh Utsav Samiti and the state government that they take steps to limit the height of Ganesh idols installed at pandals during Ganesh festival to 15 feet, has not gone down well with the samithi.

Bhagyanagar Ganesh Utsav Samiti general secretary Bhagwanth Rao said, “We understand that the idols of higher height will cause difficulty as metro rail works are going on. Our members have been told many times to restrict the height of idols keeping this in mind. I do not understand why people are speaking against the Hindu festival and blaming it for pollution in Hussainsagar which is polluted throughout the year by industrial effluents and mixing of sewage. No one raises opposition on these but blame the 10-day festival conducted once in a year as a major reason for pollution even though the statues are removed within 24 hours of immersion,” he said.

If one checks the pollution levels of Hussainsagar on any normal day and compare it with the day after Ganesh idol immersion they will not find much difference, he said.

Around 10,000 idols measuring over eight feet and 40,000 smaller ones are erected in pandals and immersed in Hussainsagar. The most famous and tallest Ganesh idol is the Khairatabad Ganesh.