One pandal goes green, immerses Durga in tank

Several idols were immersed in the Yamuna on Monday on the occasion of Bijoya Dashami. But there was one Durga Puja association in city which chose to go green and not immerse the idols in the already dying river. Nishtha reports.

Several idols were immersed in the Yamuna on Monday on the occasion of Bijoya Dashami. But there was one Durga Puja association in city which chose to go green and not immerse the idols in the already dying river.

The Dakshin Palli Durga Puja Samiti of Chittaranjan Park’s Pocket 52 decided to invest in three large tanks made of galvanized iron sheets and immerse the idols in them at the puja pandal itself. Before investing in these three-feet-deep tanks, the committee had already taken the approval of the priests and committee members so that no religious sentiments were hurt.

Ashok Bose, president of the committee, said they have been working and campaigning for eco-friendly idols for over eight years now. “Last year during the visarjan, I was appalled to see Yamuna in a polluted state. From that day, our committee has been working to make the festival more eco-friendly. We invested nearly `75,000 into these tanks and will reuse them next year as well,” he said.

Once the eco-friendly idols dissolve in the water, the committee is planning to use it to water all the plants and trees in the puja ground.

The rest of the CR Park residents said the move is extremely practical. “Looking at the condition of our rivers, this is an excellent initiative. But the puja at Pocket 52 is smaller compared to others at CR Park.

But this could be the start of something new and we could actually contribute in making the Yamuna pollution-free,” said Bishwaroop Chakraborty, resident of A block, CR Park.

The committee also plans to reuse the tanks for other rituals they may organise in the near future. “These tanks should last us for at least five years. We’ll use them for Kali Pujas, Saraswati Puja, Durga Puja or any other festivity,” said PK Paul, secretary of the samiti.