Publishes pamphlets asking people to use artificial ponds; ‘No religion says you have to immerse idols only in the sea, religion has nothing to do with environment’

Even after being snubbed by her party members and leader Uddhav Thackeray, mayor Shubha Raul has silently and strongly kept alive her ideals of eco-friendly Ganeshotsav this year. After successfully kickstarting the green immersion of Ganapati idols at her official residence, she has published pamphlets urging devotees to use artificial ponds instead of the sea for immersion of idols.

“Religion has got nothing to do with the environment. No religion says that you have to immerse your idols only in the sea,” said Raul. “My idea was to immerse home idols in artificial ponds, and prevent marine pollution. Although we cannot make this compulsory for the sarvajanik mandals, there has been a positive response from individual families and we want more such families to adopt to artificial ponds,” she told Newsline.

The pamphlet — published by the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) with an appeal from the mayor — says, “While celebrating this festival, devotees pray to lord Ganesha with great faith. If the same emphasis is also laid on the environment, our future generations will be able to celebrate the festival with double joy.”

Raul has appealed to all households to immerse the idols in artificial ponds instead of going to the sea. Citing example of Pune, which already faces the problem of immersion in its two polluted rivers, she pointed out that large idols are used in mandals only for puja while small clay idols are actually immersed.

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