A McKinney resident says he saw a Ganesh idol submerged and left in a neighborhood pond, prompting questions about whether festival immersions in North Texas lakes and ponds comply with state litter law and local park rules.
The practice can also involve offerings and other rituals before an idol is immersed. Environmental concerns have arisen internationally when idols or accompanying materials contain plaster, synthetic paints or other materials that can affect water quality.
Studies in India have documented changes in water quality following some large-scale idol immersions, prompting government authorities there to issue environmental guidelines governing the practice. The environmental impact can vary considerably depending on the materials used and the body of water involved.
Denton Ceremony Draws Scrutiny
A separate Hindu religious ceremony previously covered by The Dallas Express also drew scrutiny over materials placed into a North Texas waterway.
That event involved Chhath Puja, a Hindu festival distinct from Ganesh Chaturthi and Ganesh Visarjan.
Previously recorded footage showing participants standing in a Denton-area lake and placing offerings and other materials into the water resurfaced online earlier this year.
“Dumping offerings and materials into lakes is unacceptable. It harms fish and pollutes our local waters. We need to protect Texas ecosystems,” one widely shared post stated.
The footage was purportedly recorded on November 7, 2024, at Soil Conservation Service Site 16 Reservoir in Denton County. The Dallas Express has not independently verified the date of the recording or determined exactly what materials were placed into the water.
Denton officials previously told DX that a Chhath Puja event at the South Pond of North Lakes Park was permitted and that parks staff had reviewed cleanup expectations with organizers.
The footage also drew criticism from U.S. Rep. Brandon Gill over potential environmental concerns.
“I don’t want Third World religious ceremonies taking place in my community’s public waterways,” Gill wrote on X in March 2026, posting a video of participants in a Hindu ritual placing food in a lake.
I don’t want Third World religious ceremonies taking place in my community’s public waterways. https://t.co/efhgtVR4eL
— Brandon Gill (@realBrandonGill) March 26, 2026
The earlier Denton controversy involved a different religious observance and does not establish that Ganesh idols were immersed there.
McKinney Resident Reports Idol Immersion
Similar concerns have recently surfaced in McKinney.
McKinney resident John Aselton said he personally witnessed individuals submerging a Ganesh idol at Nora Haney Park and leaving it behind.
“I personally observed a group of Indians deliberately submerge a religious Ganesh idol into the body of water at Nora Haney Park in McKinney, TX. They then left the location without retrieving the object. This behavior is a violation of Texas Health & Safety Code §365.012,” Aselton posted on X.
I personally observed a group of Indians deliberately submerge a religious Ganesh idol into the body of water at Nora Haney Park in McKinney, TX.
They then left the location without retrieving the object.
This behavior is a violation of Texas Health & Safety Code §365.012. https://t.co/WCHR5fAyoK
— John Aselton (@Jaselton) September 17, 2026
Texas Health and Safety Code §365.012 prohibits the disposal or dumping of legally defined litter at a place that is not an approved solid-waste site. The statute defines dumping to include placing litter “on or into land or water.”
The Dallas Express has not independently established whether the object described by Aselton met the statute’s definition of litter or whether the reported incident constituted a violation.
The Dallas Express Attends Ganesh Celebration In Allen
DX observed participants carrying a Ganesh idol through the facility as part of the celebration.
Organizers declined an interview with DX and instead encouraged the reporter to participate in the celebration. An event flyer posted online stated that the organization “invites you all.”
DX also investigated whether the idol would be immersed in a nearby pond.
“As far as I know they are not throwing anything in the pond. That pond is closed. That water area is closed,” Allen Police told The Dallas Express.
DX did not observe an idol being immersed in the pond during its visit.
Reports Surface Near Prosper And Celina
Separate allegations regarding another Ganesh celebration surfaced online in the Prosper and Celina area.
“Disturbance in Prosper/Celina TX. Unauthorized Ganesh Festival on Composition Dr. Local follower stunned. Telugus in garage & driveway surround life-size Ganesh trinket to drown in waters. How’s this allowed to happen in American suburbia?” the X account CyberGreen09 posted.
🚨 BREAKING NEWS: Disturbance in Prosper/Celina TX. Unauthorized Ganesh Festival on Composition Dr. Local follower stunned. Telugus in garage & driveway surround life-size Ganesh trinket to drown in waters. How’s this allowed to happen in American suburbia? Celina PD 972-547-5350 pic.twitter.com/Z39Q1fMP8M
— CyberGreen09 (@CyberGreen09) September 19, 2026
The Dallas Express subsequently traveled to Celina to investigate but did not observe the reported event taking place at the time of the visit, nor has DX independently established whether the gathering was unauthorized or whether an idol was ultimately placed into a body of water.
The Dallas Express reached out to Dallas Gang Ganesh Utsav for comment regarding its Allen celebration, whether the organization participates in Ganesh Visarjan in North Texas waterways and what measures it takes to prevent pollution during religious ceremonies. DX did not receive a response before publication.
