Mumbai: The BMC will once again collect Plaster of Paris (PoP) Ganesh idols immersed in natural water bodies as well as at artificial immersion sites, with the civic body planning to divert the material from entering Mumbai’s waterways. Officials said PoP idols recovered after immersion will be transported to the Mulund dumping ground, where the material will be segregated and stacked. The civic administration is also in talks with recycling agencies to explore ways of recycling the recovered PoP and putting it to productive use.BMC officials were not immediately able to confirm the names of the agencies with whom discussions are under way. The move is aimed at reducing the environmental impact of PoP idols, which do not readily dissolve in water and can accumulate in water bodies after immersion.Rohit Joshi, an environmental activist who filed a PIL in the Bombay High Court seeking enforcement of the ban on Plaster of Paris (PoP) idols, said, “The best way to address the problem is to move towards environmentally sustainable alternatives such as clay idols. While clay idols take longer to dry, they do not cause the same environmental damage. The environmental impact is not limited to PoP idols entering the sea, natural water bodies or artificial immersion tanks; the paints used on idols and the cloth and other materials placed on them also contribute to pollution. However, our immediate demand is limited to enforcing the ban on PoP idols, as it is imperative to prevent further environmental damage.”The BMC has said that this year it has distributed 3,000 litres of eco-friendly colours to Ganesh idol makers across the city as part of its efforts to promote an environmentally friendly celebration.According to the civic body’s environment and climate change department, six colours—orange, red, blue, black, yellow and green—have been distributed through the BMC’s 26 ward offices. According to BMC, relatively larger quantities of colours have been distributed in wards including F/S (Parel), K/S (Andheri east), K/W (Andheri west), P/S (Malad) and R/S (Kandivli).
