BICHOLIM: Mayem MLA Premendra Shet has urged the people celebrating Ganesh Chaturthi to only buy Ganesh idols made of clay and called on the government to raid shops and get rid of Plaster of Paris (PoP) idols.
Shet, who is himself an artist, makes more than 500 Ganesh idols at his house.
“I, along with some others sculpt these clay idols, as it is our age-old tradition. We urge everyone to use clay idols and not to go for PoP idols, as they lead to pollution,” Shet said.
“Due to the popularity of PoP idols, the business of making pure clay idols has been hit. Traditional artists have started making fewer clay idols each year as their sales have dropped,” he added.
“As far as quality and shine are concerned, clay idols are at par with PoP. The only advantage of PoP idols is that they are lightweight,” he added, calling for the authorities to intervene and take action against those who make and sell PoP idols.
