Pune: 24K PoP Ganesha idols immersed using sodium bicarbonate

Pune, Sep 16 (PTI) As many as 24,000 Plaster of Paris(PoP) idols of Lord Ganesha were immersed using eco-friendlysolution – sodium bicarbonate, developed by city-basedNational Chemical Laboratory (NCL) here on the last day of thefestival. This year, the Pune Municipal Corporation (PMC)distributed the powder-based solution, among people free ofcost, in a bid to reduce the river and soil pollution. "This year, we used Sodium bicarbonate during theimmersion of household idols, made up of POP, at artificial’kunds’ at various areas and approximately 24,000 such idolswere immersed at the ‘kunds’, where the eco-friendly solutionwas mixed," said Suresh Jagtap, head of the solid wastemanagement department, PMC. He said the solution, made up of baking powder, helpsdissolve POP and turns the residue into fertiliser. Jagtap added that apart from using it at various’kunds’, the powder-based solution was even distributed amongpeople in packets and household idols were immersed at homeusing the solution. He said total 48 tonne Sodium bicarbonate was used todissolve the POP idols by civic body. PTI SPK NRB ARKPTP