Hassan Deputy Commissioner K S Lathakumari has sought an explanation from Superintendent of Police Shubhanwita after Ganesh and Gowri idols were immersed in Devigere Tank despite a district administration order prohibiting the practice. The action has exposed a coordination failure between the district administration, police and festival organisers over the protection of a prominent urban water body.
The prohibition order was issued on Saturday under Section 163 of the Bharatiya Nagarik Suraksha Sanhita and Section 24 of the Water (Prevention and Control of Pollution) Act. It followed requests from the Hassan Municipal Corporation commissioner and the tahsildar, who raised concerns that chemical paints, flowers, fruits and puja materials from the immersions could contaminate the tank.
Despite the order, major public Ganesh festival organisers conducted processions from the main town pandal and immersed idols in Devigere Tank near the Neerubagilu Anjaneya temple on Saturday. The tank is managed by the Muzrai Department, which oversees temples in Karnataka.
In her notice, the deputy commissioner asked the superintendent of police to explain why the matter should not be referred to the competent authority for disciplinary action over alleged dereliction of duty and negligence unbecoming of a government servant. The notice said police had the power to book violators, but no first information reports were registered and no action was taken against the organisers.
The response was sought immediately, with the notice stating that failure to reply would lead to the presumption that the superintendent had no explanation to offer. Copies were sent to the minister in charge of the district, the chief secretary, the regional commissioner of Mysuru and the inspector general of police for the southern range.
“There is nothing personal in the issue. Since Devigere Tank was polluted, such prohibitory orders were issued after consulting the SP as well,” Lathakumari said on Tuesday. She added that the district administration would have been held responsible if an untoward incident had occurred. The deputy commissioner also said she was unhappy that plaster of Paris and other non-eco-friendly Ganesh idols had been immersed in the tank.
The police superintendent was unavailable for comment. However, a police officer attributed the lapse to the timing of the order, saying it was issued on Saturday morning after the large procession had already begun. According to the officer, organisers had secured permission based on a route map and an identified immersion location, making a last-minute change difficult.
Hassan MLA H P Swaroop Prakash of the Janata Dal (Secular) backed the police officer and said the main pandal committee had immersed idols in Devigere Tank for six or seven decades. He said organisers learnt about the order only after the procession had started and warned that poor coordination between district agencies could create problems. Prakash also said there could be a protest against the deputy commissioner.
The dispute comes weeks before the Hasanamba temple fair, scheduled from October 30 to November 10. The fair is expected to draw at least 20 lakh devotees to the district. The immediate administrative issue is now the police response to the deputy commissioner’s notice and how authorities will manage water-body protection and religious gatherings during the upcoming period.
