Eco-friendly Ganesha is the new mantra
Eco friendly Ganesha idols, the newer way to reduce pollution of Ganesh immersion. There are many campaigns going on for eco-friendly Ganesh idols in Bangalore. This Ganesh Chaturthi is up to aware the devotees to use eco-friendly and natural Ganesh idols which are made with clay, paper, and recyclable and biodegradable waste material.
Bruhat Bengaluru Mahanagara Palike (BBMP) and the Government of Karnataka have been urging to use nature-friendly Ganapati idols for this Ganesh Chaturthi to make the city of Bangalore and the state of Karnataka clean, green and pollution-free.
The most serious impact of the Ganesh festival on the natural environment is due to the immersion of idols made of Plaster of Paris (POP) into lakes, rivers and the sea. Plastic and thermocol accessories are used to decorate these idols. Such materials are not biodegradable, hence they are toxic. Residents who use water polluted by these immersions experience a host of health problems.
However, the artisans who make idols are of different opinion. They prefer Plastic of Paris (POP) rather than clay because an idol made out of clay costs and weighs more, besides they are difficult to transport and broke easily. The Karnataka State Pollution Control Board has framed guidelines which will be distributed to the public.They include avoiding sale and worship of idols colored with metal-based paints, providing impermeable lining for immersion tanks and spreading awareness through mass media.
Celebrating Eco-friendly Ganesh festival enables you to celebrate festival grandly without harming environment and other living beings. Residents can prevent polluting water bodies if they create awareness and spread the message of using make-shift tanks either by a group of residents or by the civic body for immersion of idols. Key aspects of this eco-friendly celebration are use of unpainted clay idols, use of nature based dyes for painting Ganesh idols, proper disposal of idols and other pooja material.
Pooja materials like flowers, leaves etc can be separated for vermi composting. You can use idol of stone or metal for Ganesh festival and symbolically immerse this in a bucket of water, or even carry it in procession to the sea, hold it under the water, and then bring it back home. Use the same idol for next year on Ganesh Chaturthi.
Disclaimer: The article contains data collected from various sources and the use of same is at readers discretion.
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