Cauvery Arati in Bengaluru generates five tonnes of waste

Cauvery Arati event in Bengaluru generates 5 tonnes of waste, swiftly cleared by BBMP, raising environmental concerns.

The Cauvery Arati, a first-of-its-kind event in Bengaluru, resulted in the generation of nearly five tonnes of waste at Sankey Tank, where it was performed on Friday (March 21, 2025). Thanks to the swift action of pourakarmikas and waste collectors, the litter — comprising plastic bottles, floral decorations, food wrappers, banners, and other discarded items — was promptly cleared, preventing environmental hazards.

According to Range Gowda, a Marshal assigned to the Malleshwaram area, the Bruhat Bengaluru Mahanagara Palike (BBMP) deployed four auto tippers to collect the waste soon after the event. A compactor was then used to transport the accumulated waste to the landfill at Kannur. The cleanup operation, which commenced immediately after the event on Friday (March 21, 2025) night, continued until 3:30 a.m., with civic workers toiling for over four hours.

The Bangalore Water Supply and Sewerage Board (BWSSB) organised the Cauvery Arati at the direction of Deputy Chief Minister and Bengaluru Development Minister D.K. Shivakumar. Taking inspiration from the Ganga Arati in Kashi, the event was led by priests from Varanasi, who performed the ritual at Sankey Tank, recreating the spiritual ambience of the holy city.

The government is also planning to hold this ritual at Krishna Raja Sagara (KRS) during Dasara. This will be the second such event after Bengaluru. 

While many attendees praised the initiative for promoting water conservation, some raised concerns about crowd management. Shivshankar, a resident of Sadashivanagar, noted that the VIP sections were poorly managed, leading to overcrowding due to the presence of several ministers.

Meanwhile, Umesh, a Malleshwaram resident, appreciated the well-organised execution but expressed concerns about the impact of loud sounds and lighting on local birdlife.