Jose K Joseph
Post News Network
Bhubaneswar, Sept 20: Due to lack of awareness about the environment pollution caused by the disposal of idols, Plaster of Paris (PoP) idols of Lord Ganesha were the favourite of most people in the capital city, Cuttack and nearby towns while eco-friendly idols or “green Ganesha idols” appealed only to a few dozen ardent nature lovers.
PoP idols normally take up to six to eight months to get dissolved, but eco-friendly idols made of clay dissolve in water within hours after immersion.
“People prefer PoP idols because of the perfection in their looks, and the demand for clay idols is very low. So we also give preference to PoP idols,” said Jintendra Rao, an idol maker in Cuttack.
Scientific studies on the impact of immersion of idols on water bodies have found that the biological oxygen demand in the water bodies increases up to 50 per cent after the immersion idols. Scientists also found that immersion increases the concentration of heavy metals like lead, mercury, arsenic etc in the water bodies.
With the civic authorities having done precious little to promote the concept of eco-friendly idols, the common people are largely unaware of the impact of the damage caused to the environment.
Ragu Ragav, a truck driver from Maharashtra, said: “Ganesha pooja and immersion of idols are part of my devotional rituals for Bappa. If it creates pollution, the government must suggest another option that people like me can follow”.
Ram Kishore, a labourer from Bihar, said, “For people like us, God is often the only hope. Ganeshjee is my favourite god and even if there is a ban on immersion, I will break the law.”
However, some firms like Tantia Construction used only eco-friendly idols and paints for this year’s Ganesh Chaturthi. “By adopting eco-friendly paints and idols, we aimed at making minimum damage to our nature,” said Rajesh Kumar Karan, an employee of Tantia Construction. Rahul Singh, another employee, said his colleagues were supportive for the eco-friendly initiative.