Write an Essay to spread awareness about the shift of people from POP to eco-friendly Ganesh idols in the city.
Answers
It was that time of the year again. The time when our hearts are filled with immense joy and adulation for our lord Ganesha and our nearby water bodies are filled with the idols which often take many years to degenerate.
Isn’t it strange that the lord who was born from mud and the sweat of his mother, the lord who is Janma Matipasun (born from the soil) and should go back to the soil, is now held responsible for huge pollution?
The concept of Ganesha visarjan itself is eco-friendly as it depicts Moksha and how everything eventually dissolves in nature. As per tradition, only clay idols of the lord should be worshiped and immersed in water. But today, like all other things, Ganesha idols too have been commercialized.
Gradually clay models have been replaced by Plaster of Paris idols with chemical and synthetic paints. These idols do not dissolve in water easily and even reduce the oxygen level in water, killing fishes and other aquatic species.People purchase PoP idols because they are cheaper and more easily available in the market. As these idols do not easily dissolve in water, the remains are collected by the local government body and demolished through a bulldozer, which completely fails the purpose of celebrating Ganesha Chaturthi.
Over 1.5 lakh idols are immersed in the Arabian Sea off the Mumbai coast every year, and the oxygen level in the sea falls by 50 percent immediately after the festival.
Many responsible citizens opt for eco-friendly Ganesha statues, but the number is very less. For a PoP idol costing Rs. 500, a clay one of the same size and design comes for Rs 900 – Rs.1000. So what can be done to solve the issue? We, of course, cannot stop celebrating the much-loved festival.
Unless steps at a macro level are taken, the problem will remain hard to solve. And, thankfully, the government did take some important steps to make this festival more environment friendly this year. So, let’s take a look at what the governments of various states did this year to make sure that the festivities took an environment friendly turn.
The sale of PoP Ganesha idols was banned by the State Government in Goa and people were urged to buy clay idols made by traditional artisans. The use of PoP in making Ganesha idols drastically declined from 35 percent a few years ago to 0.67 percent this year in Goa.
Goa State Pollution Control Board conducted a joint inspection with Goa Handicrafts, Rural and Small Scale Industries Development Corporation Ltd. to check the material and method used while making the idols.
Other states also worked on ensuring a more environment friendly festival this year. The Delhi government demarcated designated areas for the immersion of idols, and appealed to the residents to use only those areas for Ganesha idol immersion.“I urge you to use eco-friendly materials and non-toxic colours for making the idols, place flowers and garlands at designated sites on the ghats and avoid littering, avoid using any intoxicants,” Delhi Lieutenant Governor Najeeb Jung said.