Lokmat News Network
Chhatrapati Sambhajinagar:
On the lines of Kolhapur, the municipal corporation is setting up a state-of-the-art conveyor belt at the Ganesh immersion tank in Deolai. Nearly ₹17 lakh are being spent on this project. According to civic officials, the system is being installed to ensure that no one drowns during the immersion process.
The conveyor belt, built with iron angles, will be powered by a 5 HP motor. The total weight of the belt is over 3.5 tonnes. A cement platform has been constructed near Deolai tank for its installation, and work began on Tuesday. A trial run will be conducted in the next couple of days. On immersion day, the conveyor belt will be operated on a three-phase generator stationed at the site.
Such a mechanism exists only at Rankala tank in Kolhapur, making Chhatrapati Sambhajinagar the second city in Maharashtra to adopt this system. After the immersion, the conveyor belt will be dismantled and stored at the old Central Octroi Naka, to be reused in the following year.
On the day of immersion, the municipal corporation will collect idols at 52 designated points. For this, 35 hired vehicles and 18 corporation-owned vehicles will be deployed. Idols meant for donation will be kept aside. As every year, artificial tanks and immersion wells are also being prepared, while the electricity department will provide illumination along immersion routes.
First-time experiment at N-5 ground
At Rajiv Gandhi Ground in Cidco N-5, the municipal corporation is creating an artificial immersion pond for the first time by digging a pit 4 feet wide, 6 feet deep, and 40 feet long. The pit will be lined with tarpaulin sheets and filled with water, allowing citizens to perform immersions. These idols will then be promptly transferred to Deolai tank for final immersion.