Two sides of the same coin

A few of the HJS members held placards stating that immersion of idols in the water did not cause any pollution. Some of theplacards even displayed the message that a devotee would be showing his utmost respect to the religion by option for traditional visarjan.u00a0

Face off: Membersu00a0of Cummins Company (in red) and Hindu Janjagruti Samiti (HJS). u00a0Pic/Sachin Thakareu00a0

An HJS member said, "The Ganesh idols are installed after performing pujas and upon immersion, positive energy from idols gets distributed into the river. So, there is no harm in immersing an idol into a river."

Countering claims made by the HJS members, Cummins Company activists requested devotees to use the tanks installed by the PMC as it would prevent water bodies from getting polluted and save the marine life. "We have been coming here for the last few years now. Though the response for eco-friendly immersions is getting better with each passing year, a lot of people are unwilling to change,"

Rajesh Hukrey, who came all the way from Kondhawa to immerse his Ganesh idol in Deccan, said, "I think we should always perform visarjan the traditional way. Hence I cam all the way from Kodhwa to Deccan." Sunanda Mithkari, who opted for an eco-friendly immersion, said, "We must remember that every time we immerse an idol in a river, it pollutes its ecosystem. Also, we should support the civic body whenever its does a good job."u00a0