Each year, we welcome Ganesha with love and enthusiasm, and each year when the time for his immersion nears, our hearts are heavy. Amid all the fervour and festivity, we sort of forget about others, who are involved in the festival, with or without invitation.

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The immersion of Ganesha in a pond in Kandivali has caused the death of as many as 300 fishes. Locals and experts from the vicinity blame it on the chemicals released and the plaster of Paris that contaminated the water.

This festival, which is a harbinger of good times and celebration, ends up killing a lot of innocent lives in water bodies every year. The fishes in the pond were choked to death with Ganesh idols and whatever else devotees had dumped in the water.

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The residents have raised the issue with authorities and have asked them to clean the water; however, no action has been taken so far. The carcasses of the fishes are rotting in the pond and constantly reeking.

Another major reason for the death of these fishes is the over stuffing of flowers, coconuts, sweets, cloth pieces and several other things that are put in the water along with the Ganesha idols.

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The issue of pollution in and around water bodies due to religious festivals has long been a source of concern for nature and wildlife enthusiasts. While this impact is diluted in the sea because of the sheer volume of water, the bigger problem is the amount of garbage that piles up on the beaches post visarjan.

At the end of the festival, as much as 1080 tonnes of garbage was collected from beaches and ponds.

Authorities from the area are proposing to penalise all the manuals for this, but is that the solution? Charging people money for visarjan is not an end to this crime.

It’s about time we think about the environment before we worship our gods.