Immersion ghats let down devotees; city lakes at risk
The GHMC’s `140-lakh project to build immersion ghats on lakes seems to have let down devotees when they needed them most. Many devotees are heading towards various lakes in the city as most of the immersion tanks, which were commissioned this year, are yet to be completed. The authorities said that only five out of the proposed 15 ghats will be completed in the next two days.
The GHMC had planned 15 new ghats in major lakes in the city to prevent heavy metal paints and PoP from reaching them. But lakes are receiving these nonbiodegradable materials in large quantities.
At Neknampur village, where the biggest immersion ghat was planned, nearly 40 per cent of the construction work is yet to be completed. “We are disappointed with the government for the delay. All the conservation works we did last year to salvage the Neknampur lake will go in vain as people would proceed to perform the ritual here,” said Ms Madhulika Choudhary, an environmentalist.
Though the HMDA has banned immersion in the lake, the panchayat opened it for immersion.
She noted that environmentalists have diverted over 100 Ganesh processions to the Malkham Cheruvu where the immersion ghat is ready since last year. On Sunday, 426 idols were immersed in the lake and 300 were diverted to the Malkham Cheruvu.
At Uppal’s Nalla Cheruvu, the immersion ghat will be completed only for Bathukamma, forcing devotees to the lake or Hussainsagar.
The work has not yet started at Gurunath Cheruvu and Gopi Cheruvu in Gachibowli.
“The rains disrupted the work but we are sure to complete it within two days,” said Mr Y Shekhar Reddy of the irrigation department of the GHMC.