The Mira Bhayandar Municipal Corporation (MBMC) has mandated use of shadu (clay) or other eco-friendly alternatives like paper-pulp for Lord Ganesh idols which are up to four feet in the upcoming ten-day Ganeshotsav festivities which will begin from September 19.
The MBMC has issued a set guideline to be followed while celebrating the festivities. However, idol makers are disappointed over the delay in the notification, as they claim to have already pre-booked Plaster-of-Paris (PoP) idols nearly four months ago and the imposition will translate into huge losses for idol makers.
Apart from mandating eco-friendly idols up to four feet, the guidelines bind idol makers and stockists to display banners outside their outlets regarding availability of eco-friendly idols, submit information about the total number of idols (eco-friendly and PoP) they aim to produce this year and compulsorily mark green or red circle on the backside of the right shoulder of Ganesh idols to indicate if it’s crafted out of shadu (eco-friendly) or PoP material respectively.
Clay idols are a more eco-friendly alternative
“While shadu idols are made to order, we start crafting or ordering PoP idols in bulk from March by investing lakhs of rupees. With less than two months remaining for the festival to start, the notification comes quite too late and is bound to give us a huge," said Murtikar Pratishtan, secretary-Nikhil Tawde.
Eco-friendly immersions
“The decision of mandating the use of eco-friendly material for idols up to four feet is a blanket decision taken by the government for the entire state. We have issued the notification in adherence to the government guidelines,” said deputy civic chief Sanjay Shinde.
Notably, the Central Pollution Control Board (CPCB) had issued guidelines in May-2020, banning Plaster of Paris (P.O.P) idols due to their significant contribution to water pollution.
Meanwhile, the MBMC which has also geared up to create a larger number of artificial ponds across the twin-city, has also appealed to devotees to opt for eco-friendly immersions.
