This year’s Ganpati festival will be celebrated in an eco-friendly manner. People have taken an oath to use eco-friendly Ganpati and save the city from pollution. By avoiding Ganesh idols made out of waste people can help to reduce pollution. We are going to face a stiff situation during Ganpati festival in Mumbai city. Already big pandals have been installed for obstructing the traffic and add to that the noise pollution is going to blow out of proportion for 10 days. Though the idols are made of Shadu clay, which is slightly expensive as compared to POP idols, environment conscious people don’t mind paying extra to safeguard our ecological system very much. Since it is entirely made of natural clay shadu does not create any pollution hazard to ecological system
With environmental concerns gaining too much ground, many well-wishers of Lord Ganesha in the city have started to favour environmental friendly Ganesh Utsav celebrations this year. The message goes to the school children as well and avoiding pollution at the time of immersion is the key word going round the city. During immersion also people should not use colours on the way and polluting the air in the process. Large number of people suffers from asthma and wheezing problem after the culmination of the Ganpati festival and some of them suffer from fever as well after drenching in rains. So it is our earnest desire to avoid pollution and safeguard the interest of the people in general and God loving people of the city.
Normally, the idols are made of brightly painted POP and various colours given to make Ganpati very attractive. With the size of the idol getting increased day by day, the amount of pollution is also passed on accordingly. The idols immersed in the sea or pond, which ultimately leaves remains strewn all along the shore. We can think of other alternatives to immerse smaller size idols of Lord Ganpati. But as a matter of convenience it is easy to make idols of Plaster of Paris instead of clay. So the artisans go for POP for the convenience sake. But its effects on the environment are immense as the toxins from the paints used on the idol kill the fish and other living creatures in water. In fact Clay is heavier and immerses into water straightaway and keeping little amount of the remains of the idol in the shore or the lake bed. It is time for retrospection and people should opt for eco-friendly idols and keep the city neat and clean from all pollutions for a full fortnight. Let us save earth from dying. It is our clarion call.
(The views expressed by the author in the article are his/her own.)
