Many gram panchayats and municipalities set aside a pond or a marked stretch of tank for immersion. Ask at the panchayat office — it changes year to year, and a drinking-water tank or a farm pond is not an alternative.

A clay idol breaks down in water within hours. Plaster of Paris does not, and the paints carry heavy metals, so idols accumulate in tanks and rivers after immersion. Pollution control boards in most states now ask for clay for exactly this reason.

Immersion points get crowded and the bank is slippery after the monsoon. Children go into the water at these gatherings every year. Keep one person watching the water rather than the procession.

Thermocol, plastic sheeting, cloth and metal ornaments do not belong in the tank even when the idol itself is clay. Most organised immersion points now have a collection bin at the bank for them.