Thousands of fish have died in the Sursagar over the years because of the paucity of dissolved oxygen in the water. Experts hold the practice of dumping organic and inorganic waste in the lake responsible for this phenomenon. But despite declaring the 300-year-old lake a prohibited zone, the Vadodara Municipal Corporation watches silently as idols of deities are immersed in the still-water body as the grand finale of every religious festival.

Last Saturday, Anant Chaudash, some 1,100 small and large Ganpati idols were immersed in the lake. Today, parts of these idols revered and worshipped in a gala, 10-day-long celebration prior to the ceremonial conclusion float on the surface of the lake, making a mockery as much of religious sentiments as the VMC's ban.

Actually, the assault on devotion began with the act of immersion itself, when, according to eye-witnesses, revellers were forced to push the idols -- sometimes upside down -- into the water with their feet. The reason was that there simply wasn't enough water in the Sursagar.

In its earlier days, Sursagar was connected to half-a-dozen other lakes in the city through channels, so that if one lake overflowed, the excess water could be directed to another water-body. Over the years, however, these channels have got blocked, causing the Sursagar to rely solely on rain water. And the heavens simply haven't been kind enough this year.

The lake's dependence on rainfall underlines its vulnerability to any sort of adversity. But though the first reports of the fall in oxygen level in the water came in in 1995, after thousands of fish died, immersion of idols continued unabated, despite VMC and police notifications. Incidentally, plaster of Paris and paint -- the two principal components of idols -- head the list of inorganic substances dangerous to water oxygen levels.

According to A K Desai, retired zoology professor, nothing -- not even a plastic bag -- should be dumped in the lake. Bonny Pilo, Dean of the Science faculty, believes that festival-organisers should be provided alternative sites for immersion, pointing out that anything dumped into the lake would affect the environment. Both Desai and Pilo express less concern for the fish than the preservation of the water-body.

When the question is put to him, Deputy Municipal Commissioner (Administration) H S Patel says, ``If a consensus is generated, we can ban immersions''. What went unsaid, according to highly placed sources, was that a ban was considered before the festival, but was shelved because of the lukewarm response. That is believable, for most councillors bypass the issue, saying, ``Rehavado ne, religion ni vaat chhe (``Let it be, it involves religion)''.

Ironically, an officer of the VMC's Public Health Laboratory agrees that the presence of organic and inorganic substances in large quantities creates immense damage to water. ``Inorganic substances increase the hardness of water, while chloride and sulphate can kill fish by the thousands. Wooden chips used in idols contain organic substance that decrease the oxygen level in water'', he says.

On his part, Police Commissioner Kuldip Sharma says the police are concerned only with allowing processions. However, he adds that they do plan to restrict the size of idols from next year.