Over 700kg of POP Ganesha idols, festival waste removed from Halanayakanahalli lake

BENGALURU: A group of young volunteers have removed over 700 kg of waste from Halanayakanahalli Lake near Sarjapur Road after the Ganesha idol immersions.

Key points

• Founder of Team Social Spotlight, Sonesh K Shet informed TNIE, Despite the ban, POP idols continue to be sold by vendors.
• He remarked the team retrieved more than 15 submerged idols, including a massive 10-foot-tall Ganesha idol.
• He remarked that Halanayakanahalli Lake is not fenced and protected, and called on that POP idols not be permitted to be immersed in the lakes.
• "Protecting our city isn't a one-day event; it's an ongoing commitment to our future, " remarked the team.
• With the support of earthmovers, specialised netting, and manual tools, the group.

While the remaining was festival waste, of the total 720 kg of waste pulled out by the volunteers, a whopping 500 kg was Plaster of Paris (POP) Ganesha idols. With the support of earthmovers, specialised netting, and manual tools, the group. It included over 50 volunteers, removed the waste.

Founder of Team Social Spotlight, Sonesh K Shet informed TNIE, Despite the ban, POP idols continue to be sold by vendors. Individuals, despite knowing the harmful effects of POP, continue to purchase them. They eventually end up in lakes.

Meanwhile, the intention of the drive was to remove the festive waste, including flowers, pooja items and plastics and prevent POP idols from remaining in the lake and affecting the water body.

He remarked the team retrieved more than 15 submerged idols, including a massive 10-foot-tall Ganesha idol. It were handled with due reverence. Shet continued that the team was exploring the possibility of converting the retrieved PoP into tables and chairs for school children.

He remarked that Halanayakanahalli Lake is not fenced and protected, and called on that POP idols not be permitted to be immersed in the lakes. "Festivals should revive our culture and communities, not choke our environment. We want to be the beginning of a real revolution, " the Aarambh team remarked.

In short, over 700kg of POP Ganesha idols, festival waste removed from Halanayakanahalli lake is the central thread here, and readers can expect follow-up reporting as the picture becomes clearer.