Now Reading: Karnataka urges eco-friendly Ganesha idols to save water bodies
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Karnataka urges eco-friendly Ganesha idols to save water bodies
Karnataka rural development minister Eshwar Khandre has directed gram panchayats to ensure only eco-friendly, unpainted clay Ganesh idols are installed and immersed during the Ganesh Chaturthi celebrations on September 13-14. The minister…
The Story in Brief
Karnataka rural development minister Eshwar Khandre has directed gram panchayats to ensure only eco-friendly, unpainted clay Ganesh idols are installed and immersed during the Ganesh Chaturthi celebrations on September 13-14. The minister urged devotees to shun plaster of Paris (POP) idols, warning that chemical paints contain mercury, cadmium, lead and carbon which contaminate water bodies and harm aquatic life. A ban on POP idol manufacture, transport, sale and immersion has been in effect since September 2023 under the Water (Prevention and Control of Pollution) Act, with high court directions for strict enforcement.
Meanwhile in Mumbai, artisans face practical hurdles in shifting from POP to clay. Clay idols take 15, 20 days to dry compared to hours for POP, require more workshop space, cost nearly double at about Rs 1,000 versus Rs 500 for POP, and break easily during transport. Tree Ganesha founder Dattadri Kothur makes idols from untreated red soil with embedded seeds for home immersion in supplied pots, but says first-time buyers still worry about breakage. Artisans also cite lack of workspace allocation from the BMC this year.
The Indian Opinion
Every year the same debate plays out across India: clay versus plaster of Paris for Ganesh idols. Environmentalists rightly point to the toxic heavy metals in POP and synthetic paints that poison our lakes and rivers. But the lazy narrative that blames only artisans for choosing POP ignores the real constraints: time, cost and space. A clay idol takes 15, 20 days to dry while POP sets in hours. Clay idols cost nearly double and break during transport. Instead of moral lectures, why not practical solutions like shared drying sheds and affordable insurance for transport? Will the state provide workspace to idol-makers as it bans POP?
Sources (2): timesofindia.indiatimes.com, timesofindia.indiatimes.com (2)
This story was synthesised by AI from the 2 sources linked above.
Updated: this story now draws on 2 sources.
