Worship clay Vinayak idols, save environment, Collector K Venkatraman Reddy tells people

Tirupati : District Collector K Venkataramana Reddy called upon the people to offer prayers to clay Ganesha on Vinayaka Chavithi day to protect the environment. He unveiled the posters with a slogan ‘Worship clay Ganesha – Save the Environment’ prepared by Sri Varasiddi Vinayaka Mahotsav Committee at the Indoor stadium in TUDA grounds on Friday. He told the people to celebrate the Vinayaka Chavithi festival with devotion duly following the traditions and customs and cooperate to the immersion programme being taken up jointly by the Utsav committee and Tirupati Municipal Corporation. Taking note of the problems that arose during the immersion programme at Chennaya Gunta and Damineedu, TUDA VC S Hari Krishna and District Panchayat Officer Rajasekhar Reddy were given instructions to provide barricades and other facilities to visitors. On their part, people should use clay Ganesh idols to protect the environment. As lakhs of idols will be offered prayers, there should not be a problem to the environment during immersion. As such, environment-friendly clay Ganesh idols are to be kept in puja with devotion. He said in Tirupati city, over 800 idols will be kept at various locations for which puja will be performed from September 18. Immersion will take place on the third day which falls on September 20 for which all arrangements are made at Vinayaka Sagar. As the fifth day falls on Friday and it coincides with the famous Garuda Seva of Lord Venkateswara, he said that priority should be given to immersing the idols on the third day itself. Tirupati Varasiddi Vinayaka Mahotsav Committee members Samanchi Srinivas, G Bhanu Prakash Reddy, P Naveen Kumar Reddy, RC Munikrishna, Mangati Gopal Reddy, Gopi, K Ajay Kumar, Gundala Gopinath Reddy and others were present. Meanwhile, several school managements across the district have been encouraging students to make clay Ganesh idols which will bring awareness among them on the importance of environment protection. Chittoor DEO C Vijayendra Rao and district Samagra Shiksha Project Officer Peddireddi Venkataramana Reddy directed the teachers of all managements to promote clay Ganesh idols and use of natural colours.