After Belagavi district officials informed Ganesh Mandals that pollution control norms will be strictly enforced during the Ganesh festival this year, Member of Legislative Assembly Abhay Patil sent a message to the mandals that the festival will be celebrated as it has always been done.
A video message circulated by the BJP leader is being interpreted as an assurance by the leader that he will protect them if they were to violate any rules. “I have instructed officials that the festival will be celebrated as it has been celebrated every year in the past. Ganesh Mandal members and office-bearers will decide the method in which it will be organised in the city,” he said.
Rules concerning noise pollution say that it [noise] has to be reduced by keeping all loudspeakers below the recommended levels of 55 decibels or not more than 10 decibels above the ambient sound.
To ensure this, Deputy Commissioner Nitesh Patil and Police Commissioner M.B. Boralingaiah said that the government has banned heavy duty disco jockey loudspeakers.
Sector officers will give permission to each mandal that wants to use loudspeakers between 6 a.m. and 10 p.m. The Deputy Commissioner said that all government instructions and court orders shall be strictly followed. He said that he will hold the jurisdictional officers responsible for violation of such rules.
The other rule is regarding water pollution. It is for not using plaster of Paris to make Ganesh idols. Despite the repeated warnings, Ganesh Mandals install plaster of Paris idols. When immersed in water, plaster of Paris, which contains calcium sulphate, can pollute waterbodies, according to Karnataka State Pollution Control Board.
Over 4,000 idols are installed in public places in Belagavi district. The city has around 400 mandals. A large number of the idols are immersed in wells, tanks and streams such as Bellary Nala in and around the city. A few larger ones are immersed in temporary tanks or designated immersion tanks. But, after the festival, water is released into tanks, nalas and rivers.
To prevent this, the government has been asking organisers to avoid installing idols made of plaster of Paris.
During Tuesday’s meeting, officials said that this will be strictly enforced due to directions from the State government. This year, the government is keen on enforcing this rule as the High Court is looking into some related issues, officers said.
Convenor of Ganesh Mandals Vikas Kalaghatagi said that it is difficult to follow such rules and urged the government to reconsider them. He also urged the officers to call for another round of meetings to resolve the differences.
Mr. Patil said that traditions cannot be forgotten and that he will appeal to the State government to provide exemptions for celebrating Ganesh festival.
