Mayor urges Mumbaikars to ‘go green’ this season
With the possibility of the third wave of Covid-19 looming over Mumbai, for the second consecutive year, the 10-day Ganeshotsav, which will start on September 10, is expected to be a low-key affair. The Maharashtra government has restricted the height of the idols to four feet at public marquees and two feet at home. Meanwhile, Mayor Kishori Pednekar too has urged Mumbaikars to celebrate the festival in an ecofriendly manner. Excerpts:
How important is it from Mumbai’s environment perspective to be conscious while celebrating Ganeshotsav?
Ganeshostav was started by freedom fighter and social reformer Bal Gangadhar Tilak to unite Indians and boost the sense of belongingness during the independence movement. However, over the years, the festival underwent a change in the way people began to celebrate it. The height of the idol rocketed. Many sculptors began resorting to plaster of paris (PoP) to make them. These idols are not eco-friendly and are difficult to immerse. Hence, it is necessary to opt for idols that don’t harm the environment.
In the olden days, there were limited ways to sculpt idols —shadu mati (clay) and red soil were commonly used. Thanks to the modern techniques at our disposal, one can now use materials like paper and alum, amongst others. These ‘green Ganeshas’ are not harmful to our environment. People should also make use of eco-friendly or reusable decor items for the festival.
This shouldn’t be limited to just Mumbai or one particular festival. All festivals, including the upcoming Navratri and Diwali, should also be celebrated in an environment-friendly manner.
How did the BMC come up with the ideaof eco-friendly Ganeshotsav?
Every year, the BMC conducts extensive clean-up drives at the beaches across Mumbai after Ganesh visarjan. This starts right from the one and a half day visarjan. The number of idols being immersed in these water bodies increases every year. The use of PoP, paint and jewellery have an adverse effect on marine life. There is a limit to which things can be thrown into the sea. Environment protection is one of the major factors why we decided to celebrate ecofriendly Ganeshostav and also Navratri. Hats off to Mumbaikars who listened to us.
Will the BMC allow people to immerse Ganesh idols at big beaches? Or is the civic body planning to build special/artificial ponds this year too?
The BMC is already setting up artificial ponds for visarjan. Each ward should at least have four ponds. The government has urged people not to immerse the idol at sea. The final decision on this will be announced soon. But I think this year as well the protocols will be the same as last year.
Is the BMC planning to collect Ganesh idols through door-to-door visits? If yes, how will it work?
Yes, we are planning to do the same this year too. Last year, BMC vehicles would pick up idols and flowers at the door. The official would then immerse the idol and follow all the rituals. The wooden plank on which the idol is kept during visarjan
is then returned to the rightful owner. However, people preferred to visit the artificial ponds to immerse the idol themselves. I have decided to immerse the idol at home in a tub. In order to save the environment, people should also try to follow this. If every Mumbaikar decides to immerse their idols at home in a water tub, it will help the environment immensely.
The Nagpur bench of Bombay High Court recently ordered that the idols of Lord Ganesh and Goddess Durga that are made of PoP will not be sold as ‘idols’ but as ‘objects’. What’s your take on that?
Last year, we saw a lot of opposition to PoP idols. However, they are still in demand. The bench said that sculptors who use PoP are permitted to sell the idols on a condition. Buyers should be informed that such idols are not intended for any kind of worship, nor are they intended to be immersed in any water body, natural or artificial.
We will definitely follow the court orders and I am sure the state government will also focus on this.
A message you would like to give our readers on Ganeshotsav.
Follow an eco-friendly Ganeshostav and Visarjan. And remember “Apla Bappa, Apla Visarjan Bappacha”.
Scan QR code for our eco Ganesha campaign
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