Minister urges use of small clay idols for Vinayaka Chaturthi amid water shortage in Kurnool
Kurnool Minister T.G. Bharath Gupta has urged residents to use small clay idols for the Vinayaka Chaturthi festival due to severe water shortages in the K-C Canal. The region is facing extreme conditions due to the El Nino effect, forcing officials to prioritize drinking water over traditional large-scale idol immersion.
Why it matters
The story highlights the intersection of climate change, resource management, and cultural traditions in urban India.
Industries and Commerce Minister T.G. Bharath Gupta has appealed to the Ganesh pandal organisers to install clay idols of small size for the upcoming Vinayaka Chaturthi festival due to insufficient water in the Kurnool-Cuddapah (K-C) Canal, where the Ganesh idols are immersed every year.
The Ganesh festivities in Kurnool are second only to those in Hyderabad in undivided Andhra Pradesh. After bifurcation, Kurnool is the only city where centralised immersion procession of the idols takes places on a massive scale.
The river Tungabhadra and all other water bodies passing through the city have almost dried up due to the El Nino effect. The Sri Ganesh Mahotsavam Kendra Samithi, along with Kurnool Municipal Corporation Commissioner Challa Obulesu and irrigation officials, held a meeting on Saturday to discuss the issue.
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