Nashik: In a bid to encourage citizens to immerse their Ganapati idols at home and prevent river pollution, the Nashik civic body has started distribution of ammonium bicarbonate to devotees at its divisional offices.Nashik Municipal Corporation (NMC) appealed to citizens to use ammonium bicarbonate for immersion of Ganesh idols at home. NMC administration published the list of six divisional sanitary inspectors in all the six divisions of the municipal corporation who can help devotees get ammonium bicarbonate to immerse Ganapati idols at homes and also check for its availability. Last year, the civic body had distributed 6.5 tonnes of ammonium bicarbonate to over 30,000 devotees. This year, the civic body has plans to distribute 7 tonnes of the chemical. Ammonium bicarbonate is mixed into the water and the idols are kept in that solution for 48 hours. After the dissolution of the idols, the remains can be used as manure or soil conditioner in gardens. The civic body wants people to opt for eco-friendly immersion at their homes by using ammonium bicarbonate if they install Ganesh idols made of plaster of paris (PoP). Nashik civic body commissioner Ashok Karanjkar on Thursday visited the Ganapati immersion routes in the city where Ganapati idol procession would happen on Anant Chaturdashi, when Ganapati idols are immersed. We also published the following articles recentlyCitizens immerse over 68k Ganapati idols in first roundAround 68,658 Ganapati idols were immersed in tanks and water bodies in Pune during the first round of immersions for the 10-day Ganeshotsav festival. The Pune Municipal Corporation (PMC) has made arrangements for devotees to use makeshift and permanent tanks for the immersion process. However, a PMC official was injured due to electrocution while maintaining a makeshift tank. The civic administration has installed instruction boards near the tanks to ensure safety. The PMC has also mapped 1,183 public toilets on a cellphone application for citizens to rate and provide feedback. Additionally, 1,200 CCTV cameras will be installed across the city for monitoring public places during the festival.Devotees throng Vaigai to immerse Vinayaka idolsHundreds of devotees in Madurai immersed Vinayaka idols in the Vaigai river following the Vinayaka Chathurthi festival. Hindu outfits organized processions across the city, with idols of various sizes carried during these processions. The idols were then immersed at a designated spot in the river. The Madras High Court ruled that the sale of Vinayaka idols cannot be prevented, but the immersion of idols made with plaster of paris in water bodies is not allowed. The court also emphasized the need for an eco-friendly dissolution of idols. The court rejected a plea to install idols in unauthorized places, warning against politicizing the festival.Drishti Marine lifesavers and volunteers to assist devotees with Ganesh Chaturthi idol immersionDrishti Marines, a Goa-based lifesaving agency, will assist the state administration in ensuring public safety during the immersion of Ganesh idols along 45 beaches in the state. They will deploy teams of lifesavers and volunteers at 53 locations, including coastal beaches and other immersion sites. Lifesavers will assist people during the immersion process and ensure their safety, while also advising against entering the water under the influence of alcohol. Immersions should be carried out at designated entry points on the beaches where the lifesaving teams will be present.

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