MUMBAI: As the Ganesh festival arrives September 19-28, the BMC has renewed its efforts to implement the Central Pollution Control Board (CPCB) ban on plaster of paris (PoP) idols. The state government had permitted relaxation twice -- once owing to the Covid lockdown, and secondly, after mandals sought more time to switch to eco-friendly alternatives.
Naresh Dahibawkar, president of the Brihanmumbai Sarvajanik Ganeshotsav Samanvay Samiti (BSGSS), the nodal federation of sarvajanik Ganesh mandals, said, "We met with CM Eknath Shinde and sought viable alternatives to PoP. We are not against environment protection. In fact we have consistently appealed to mandals to adopt eco-friendly practices, and they have agreed. But clay moortis are expensive, time consuming to craft and shadu idol makers are few. So the CM has appointed a committee of experts to submit a report."
Dahibawkar said that meanwhile this year, the 12,000 sarvajanik mandals have been allowed to install tall PoP idols but households must adhere to clay moortis less than 4 ft in height.
