The Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) has retracted its previous notice banning the use of plaster of Paris (PoP) idols for the upcoming Ganesh festival. The ban was lifted 10 days after it was initially issued. However, the BMC has now mandated that citizens and festival organizers must immerse PoP idols only in artificial lakes.
The decision to retract the ban came after numerous idol makers and artisans appealed to the BMC, requesting a postponement of the ban’s implementation. Many had already purchased raw materials, while others had completed PoP idols ready for delivery. Artisans argued that it would not be feasible to procure new raw materials within the limited timeframe. This year, the 10-day Ganpati festival is scheduled to begin on August 30.
During a meeting held on Monday with Ganpati festival organizers and various civic departments, the BMC announced in a statement, “There will be a complete ban on PoP idols in the BMC jurisdiction from the 2023 Ganesh festival. From next year, it will be mandatory to buy and sell only idols made from environmentally friendly materials like shadu clay.”
The statement further clarified, “For this year’s Ganeshotsav, which is taking place after two years of Covid-19 restrictions, as a special case, permission has been granted to buy and sell plaster of Paris idols of Lord Ganesha. However, it is mandatory to immerse domestic Ganesh idols made of such ‘plaster of Paris’ in an artificial lake. These idols must also be labeled as ‘Plaster of Paris’ to ensure they can be identified as such during the immersion process.”
Similar to the past two years, the BMC has reiterated that the height of Ganesh idols used in private homes should not exceed two feet. For public celebrations, the BMC has advised keeping the height of Ganesh idols as low as possible. Furthermore, permits for mandaps and other municipal-level permits will be issued through an online single-window system.
In May 2020, the Central Pollution Control Board (CPCB) issued comprehensive guidelines banning PoP idols due to their significant pollution impact on water bodies. However, the ban was postponed for a year after idol makers expressed concerns about the potential loss of livelihood it would cause.
The CPCB, along with the Nagpur bench of the Bombay High Court, had also banned the sale and production of PoP idols due to their toxic effects on water bodies. The guidelines issued by the CPCB included provisions such as the registration of idol makers producing more than 100 idols per day and the imposition of visarjan (immersion) charges.
The BMC’s decision to allow the use of PoP idols this year, but with strict guidelines for immersion, reflects a balance between environmental concerns and the practical considerations raised by artisans and idol makers. The emphasis on transitioning to environmentally friendly materials from next year highlights the BMC’s commitment to sustainability and the preservation of water bodies during the Ganesh festival.
