After the Central Pollution Control Board (CPCB) banned the use of plaster of paris (PoP), thermocol and single-use plastic in idols on Wednesday, idol makers in the city said this could mean a loss of livelihood for many. The CPCB has issued guidelines that promote using eco-friendly materials to make and decorate idols.
On Wednesday, the CPCB published a revised version of its 10-year-old guidelines, which cover instructions for idol makers; immersions at waterbodies and in the sea; festival organising committees; and the responsibilities of state pollution control boards.
Use of pyramid of sugarcane sticks for pandals along with natural clay and natural clay mixed with alum have been suggested for idols by the CPCB. “Idols and decorations made using PoP, plastic and thermocol accessories as well as dyes used to colour these idols, having harmful and toxic chemicals are banned for future use,” said Prashant Gargava, member secretary, CPCB. This decision is to aimed at tackling the environmental impact of idols and their immersion. Gargava said state pollution control boards have been directed to take a call on suitable penalties for illegal use of banned materials.
The Brihanmumbai Ganesh Murtikar Sang, an association with over 700 idol makers in Mumbai, said it was opposed to the new guidelines. “Over 500 of our idol makers use PoP. It takes a minimum of 22 days to make the smallest clay idols and six months to complete large idols. During lockdown with restrictions on movement of non-essential goods, how will we manage to get large quantity of clay before this year’s festival?” said Gajanan Tondwalkar, president of the association. He said adhering to these guidelines could lead to almost 5 lakh artisans losing their livelihoods. “We will challenge the Centre’s decision before courts and submit our reservations to the Maharashtra government,” said Tondwalkar.
{{/usCountry}}The Brihanmumbai Ganesh Murtikar Sang, an association with over 700 idol makers in Mumbai, said it was opposed to the new guidelines. “Over 500 of our idol makers use PoP. It takes a minimum of 22 days to make the smallest clay idols and six months to complete large idols. During lockdown with restrictions on movement of non-essential goods, how will we manage to get large quantity of clay before this year’s festival?” said Gajanan Tondwalkar, president of the association. He said adhering to these guidelines could lead to almost 5 lakh artisans losing their livelihoods. “We will challenge the Centre’s decision before courts and submit our reservations to the Maharashtra government,” said Tondwalkar.
{{/usCountry}}According to the Brihanmumbai Samanvay Ganeshotsav Sarvajanik Samiti (BSGSS), the umbrella body of Ganesh mandals in the city, an average of 11,000 large (sarvajanik) idols and 1.6 lakh household idols are made every year using PoP. The use of thermocol and plastic was disallowed by BSGSS last year. An average of 75 large idols and 40,000 household idols are made using clay while 250 paper idols are made annually during the 11-day Ganeshotsav festival, which will take place in August this year.
Naresh Dahibhavkar, president, BSGSS said, “Less than 5% of the total idols in 2019 were eco-friendly. If concerns of Covid-19 affecting this year’s festival were not enough, the latest guidelines will ensure none of the pandals have any idols this year. We request the Maharashtra Pollution Control Board to intervene and issue some relaxations.” Lalbaugcha Raja, Mumbai Cha Raja Ganesh Galli, Andhericharaja, Fortcha Icchapurti and many other popular mandals have been using PoP to make their idols for almost a decade.
Other guidelines issued by the CPCB require groups of craftsmen making over 100 idols to be registered with urban local bodies and state pollution control boards, which will grant fresh permits to artisans. “Under the new norms, only registered idol makers will be allowed and all previous permits stand cancelled,” said Gargava.
Idols must be immersed in artificial ponds but in case there is no option to their immersion in rivers, lakes or ponds, a designated location with shallow depth needs to be identified by local authorities. For immersions at sea, idols will be immersed between the high tide and low tide line at designated sites defined by the state’s coastal authority. The waste generated by the idol’s immersion must be collected and disposed of safely by the local civic body within 24 hours.
According to the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation, last year 2.11 lakh idols were immersed across 129 immersion spots in Mumbai. The figure was 2.03 lakh in 2018; 1.92 lakh in 2017; and 2.09 lakh in 2016. Dahibhavkar estimates that percentage of eco-friendly idols increase from 2% to 5% over four years with a maximum increase in paper idols being adopted by mandals.
“The Centre should have issued a buffer period before publishing the guidelines. It will affect festivities this year, but we will see how best they can be implemented by consulting local bodies and the state government,” said Swapnil Parab, secretary, Ganesh Galli Mandal (Mumbai Cha Raja).
THE MATHS OF IMMERSION
PoP contains chemicals such as sulphur, phosphorus and magnesium and is the cheapest and least labour-intensive material for idols. PoP idols are priced between Rs 500 to Rs 1,000, depending on the size of the idol. However PoP takes months to completely dissolve in water. Dyes currently used to colour idols usually contain mercury, cadmium, arsenic, lead, and carbon — all of which are harmful for aquatic biodiversity.
Clay idols take two to three weeks to dissolve in water and are more expensive than PoP. For example, an 18kg clay idol costs Rs. 5000, according to Mumbai-based idol makers.
Idols are also made out of paper and glue, or a combination of paper, flour and water. The latter is the most expensive material for idols and dissolves the fastest when immersed in water. ‘Natural’ idols — made from a combination of corn powder and spinach powder; and painted with natural colours derived from ingredients like turmeric, sandalwood (chandan) and ochre (geru) — dissolve in water within four to five hours. The cost of a nine-inch natural idol would be Rs 900.
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