Chennai’s Vinayagar idol immersion exposed gaps in environmental compliance and civic arrangements, with plaster-of-Paris idols, garlands and debris reported in the sea at multiple immersion locations across the city. The Tamil Nadu Pollution Control Board said it would test water samples after the immersions.
Hundreds of devotees took part in the immersion processions on Sunday, travelling in mini vans and trucks with drums, percussion instruments and devotional songs. Several idols were more than 8ft high and were lowered into the sea using cranes as devotees gathered around the immersion points.
Immersions were conducted at six locations in Tiruvottiyur, Kasimedu, Ennore, Pattinapakkam and Neelangarai. The police deployment for the exercise included 16,000 personnel, 2,000 home guards and three teams of firefighting personnel, according to the report.
However, several practices observed at the sites were inconsistent with environmental requirements. The Central Pollution Control Board’s mandate disallows idols made of plaster of Paris from being immersed in the sea, but several puja teams brought PoP idols to the designated locations. Remains of PoP idols and straws were found floating near the Loop Road at Pattinapakkam and at Neelangarai beach.
Ornaments and garlands had also not been removed from several idols before immersion. Some devotees reportedly broke the designated lines and immersed idols independently at unauthorised spots, complicating the management of the sites and increasing the spread of material along the shoreline.
The arrangements also came under criticism from participants who said the available crane capacity was inadequate for the number and size of idols arriving at the Loop Road venue. Vishnupriyan of the K K Kalinga Boys Puja team said there were only two cranes for more than 300 idols, several of which were around 10ft high.
A corporation official said four cranes had initially been planned for Loop Road. The official said the original estimate was based on about 450 idols being expected at the site, but several were later diverted to Kasimedu. The civic administration had also faced uncertainty over whether Pattinapakkam would be permitted as an immersion location that year, leading to revised estimates and arrangements.
The Tamil Nadu Pollution Control Board officials said water samples would be tested on Monday. The results and any subsequent administrative action will determine the recorded environmental impact of the immersion activity and the response to the reported violations.
