Nagpur: In a major triumph for environmental conservation, the use of Lord Ganesh idols made of Plaster of Paris (PoP) has seen a remarkable decline this year.
This year, of the total Ganesh idols immersed in artificial tanks across the city, 2.81% were found to be made of PoP. With this, there has been a drop of 4.81%, revealed an affidavit submitted by the Nagpur Municipal Corporation (NMC) at the Nagpur Bench of Bombay High Court on Tuesday.
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According to the NMC’s affidavit, 162,212 Ganesh idols were immersed this year. Of these, 4,706 (2.81 %) were found to be made of PoP. This reflects a concerted effort to reduce the environmental impact associated with the immersion of PoP idols, which can pose a major hazard to local water bodies.
The affidavit, filed on October 1, also detailed the actions taken by NMC’s Nuisance Detection Squad (NDS) during the Ganesh Festival. From August 27 to September 7, the NDS conducted inspections of 92 shops and seized 801 PoP idols and imposed a fine of Rs 9.20 lakh on the shop-owners. In addition, NMC had arranged 419 artificial tanks throughout the city to facilitate environmentally-friendly idol immersion during the festival.
The particulars were disclosed in the affidavit submitted by NMC counsel Gemini Kasat in response to a suo motu PIL, which highlighted the escalating pollution in water bodies caused by the immersion of PoP idols, with Shreerang Bhandarkar appointed as amicus curiae.
Deputy Municipal Commissioner (Solid Waste Management) Gajendra Mahalle’s affidavit affirmed that the corporation has adopted a collaborative approach to this issue, remaining steadfast in its commitment to environmental protection. The NMC is resolute in its endeavour to curtail water pollution resulting from the immersion of idols, particularly those constructed from detrimental materials such as PoP.
As per NMC’s zone-wise data on idol immersions for this year’s festival, an impressive 97.18% of the idols were crafted from eco-friendly clay, while a mere 2.82% were made from PoP. This constitutes a marked decline in the utilisation of PoP idols compared to the preceding year, when 4.84% of the idols were fashioned from this material. In absolute terms, out of the 1,66,918 idols immersed this year, 1,62,212 were clay idols, while only 4,706 were of PoP.
The NMC attributed this favourable shift to heightened public awareness, increased availability of clay idols, and rigorous enforcement of environmental regulations. The corporation stressed that the diminished use of PoP represents a crucial step towards ensuring that festivals do not inflict enduring harm on local water bodies.
To guarantee adherence to the guidelines, NMC’s Nuisance Detection Squad (NDS) carried out stringent inspections during the festival season, spanning from August 27 to September 7. As part of this crackdown, the squad inspected 92 shops across the city and confiscated 801 PoP idols found to be in violation of the guidelines. Each shop selling these idols was penalised Rs 10,000. The corporation unequivocally stated that it would persist in monitoring and taking action against violators in the future, ensuring stricter compliance with pollution control measures.
In addition to enforcement, NMC made substantial efforts to promote the use of artificial tanks for idol immersion. For the 2024 Ganesh Festival, NMC installed 419 artificial tanks across the city to prevent harmful chemicals from contaminating natural water bodies.
