Even as the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) is aggressively promoting the concept of an eco-friendly Ganeshotsav in the city, ironically, more than 90 per cent of the mandals it awarded this year in its Shri Ganesh Gaurav competition had idols made of plaster of paris (PoP).
Mayor Sunil Prabhu announced the results of the competition at the civic headquarters on Monday. The civic body had kept a special prize for the best clay Ganesh idol, which was won by Vikas Mitra Mandal, Worli. The first three prizes for eco-friendly mandals were grabbed by Shri Ganeshotsav Mandal, Khetwadi; Maplawadi Utsav Mandal, Mazgaon and Vighnaharta Rahivashi Mitra Mandal, Borivali.
Apart from some of these few mandals, almost all the Ganeshotsav mandals in the city have, however, installed idols made of PoP, which causes pollution of water.
According to civic officials, the increased use of idols made of PoP is causing a lot of damage to the environment, as they do not dissolve properly in water and also cause water pollution. Pictures of idol parts floating in water after immersion are an eyesore and also hurt the feelings of devotees. However, people still opt for PoP idols as they are easy to make and cost-effective too. Since the last few years, the BMC has been trying to create awareness about conservation of the environment during the Ganeshotsav. The BMC has also tied with NGOs to hold exhibitions and workshops of eco-friendly idols across the city When asked, Mr Prabhu said, “We always appeal people to use eco-friendly clay idols during the festival and hope that they follow it.” However, when it comes to its own competition, the civic body has been found dragging its feet over the issue of PoP idols. The concept of holding this competition only for clay idols was squarely turned down by the Shiv Sena-ruled BMC for fear of incurring wrath of several powerful mandals.