Hyderabad: The 10-day Ganesh festival can bleed the lakes, warn experts. Besides the deadly plaster of paris and gypsum, there are heavy metals in paints which can wreck havoc on the lakes. The heavy metals used in the idols are cadmium, chromium and lead which are carcinogenic in nature.
“After every Ganesh Chaturthi, the lakes in the city see a spike of 20 per cent in pollution level which is unhealthy for water tables,” said N Raveendhar, senior scientist with the Pollution Control Board.
A city-based teacher and environmentalist, Dr A Vijay Kumar, who has been studying the lake water for the last 10 years, said,“As per the Indian Council of Medical Research standards, the pollution level is extremely high after the Ganesh Chaturthi.”
“What people fail to understand is that all efforts to rejuvenate the lake will be down the drain in one week time due to the chemicals in idols,” said Ms Madhulika Chaudhary, an environmentalist.
