CHENNAI: The Greater Chennai Corporation on Monday said that it has cleared a total of 139.63 MT of waste from the five immersion points across the city, following the Vinayagar Chathurthi idol immersion event held from September 19 to 21.
According to the official data shared by the civic body, a total of 11,653 idols were immersed over the three days at five designated beach locations — Pallavakkam, Pattinapakkam, Kasimedu, behind the popular weighbridge at Thiruvottiyur, and Ennore. The total waste collected include 84,690 kg of wooden pallets used as idol platforms, 16,390 kg of flower waste, 3,650 kg of wet waste, 33,555 kg of dry and other waste, and 1,350 kg of food waste.
The highest number of idols were immersed at Pattinapakkam (6,479), where 37.5MT of waste was collected, including 17MT of wooden pallets, 11MT of dry waste and 8MT of flower waste. In contrast, though the number of idols immersed at Palavakkam beach stood at 704 — significantly less compared to Pattinapakkam — the amount of waste cleared was 78MT, largely on account of 57MT of wooden pallets, apart from 3.7MT of flower waste, 1.5MT of wet waste, 14.5MT of dry waste and 1.3MT of food waste. Kasimedu, Ennore, and Thiruvottiyur recorded 13,693 kg, 9,711 kg, and 493 kg, respectively.
Besides, many of the residents who came with their Vinayagar idol to get them immersed in Pattinapakkam on Sunday alleged that the machinery, including earthmovers and cranes, was fewer in number. When contacted, a city corporation official told TNIE, “Usually, the machinery was also provided by police officials. But this time, GCC provided the machinery. In Pattinapakkam alone, seven earthmovers and excavators, 11 tractors, 11 tippers, and 12 BOVs along with 152 sanitary workers were deployed for immersion and waste clearing.”
Meanwhile, a video of a portion of a closed shop’s front elevation being damaged by a few people to make way for an oversized idol taken for immersion was circulated online. Citing this, residents urged enforcement agencies to ensure idols are at the prescribed height of 10ft.