Ganesh immersion tanks |  PMC Pune |  Pune Municipal Commissioner and Administrator Vikram Kumar (IAS Vikram Kumar) has asked for a tender of 1.5 crore rupees for 150 mobile Ganesh immersion tanks this year.  This tender needs to be canceled immediately.  Municipal commissioners and administrators should realize that they are not the owners but the trustees of the city treasury.  Vivek Velankar has offered such a prayer to Ganaraya.

 Velankar said, for many years till 2019, the Pune Municipal Corporation had arranged 46 wells, 359 iron tanks, 191 idol collection/donation centers at various places and ghats in the city for Ganesh Immersion.  Apart from this, people who insisted on immersion in flowing water were doing this immersion in the river.  All these immersion systems were proving to be sufficient.  In the year 2020, as these immersion facilities were not available to the citizens due to the Corona epidemic, the municipal administration placed 30 rotating wells in the city and the citizens performed Ganesha immersion in them.  Even in the year 2021, as these immersion facilities are not available to the citizens due to the Corona epidemic, the municipal administration placed 60 rotating wells in the city and the citizens immersed Ganesha in them.  (PMC Pune)

 Velankar further said that since there is no corona virus restrictions this year, 46 wells, 359 iron tanks, 191 idol collection/donation centers will be available for Ganesha immersion at various places and ghats in the city like 2019.  Apart from this, at the ward level, CSR, various organizations and individuals are providing mobile immersion tanks at their own expense.  Moreover, people who insist on immersion in running water will do so in the river.  But still, the municipal administration has taken a rash decision to hire 150 revolving immersion wells.  That is, when there is no other system of irrigation, 30 in 2020 and 60 in 2021 for the entire city, and this year, when there are other abundant facilities for irrigation, is it necessary to rent 150 irrigation tanks and spend one and a half crores of people’s taxes on water for that?  (Pune Municipal Corporation)

 Velankar said, last year (2022) too, the municipal commissioner and administration had hired 150 moving wells.  Then, out of 4,30,091 idols that came for immersion, only 13% were immersed in this moving tank.  However, the municipal corporation, without taking any lesson from its own data, has once again set the stage to drain one and a half crores of citizens’ taxes by renting 150 irrigation tanks.  It was a shock when these documents were received today during the Right to Information Day on Monday.  This arrangement will be for only six days from the fifth day to the eleventh day.  On the sixth, eighth and ninth days, there is very little Ganapati immersion.  However, these one and a half hundred immersion tanks are going to be kept.  While the Ganapati festival lasts for ten days, these moving fountains are going to be held on the eleventh day.

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 – Vivek Velankar, President, Sajag Nagarik Manch Pune